Pride and Glory

Yesterday was our junior high and high school awards assembly.  Our small school has had an extremely successful year this year, with state champions in many areas, as well as teams going further than they've gone in years.


This morning on Facebook, our high school librarian was again congratulating the speech teacher for the speech teams' success, and telling her she wasn't getting enough credit for her hard work and success.  The speech teacher wrote back: "Thanks! My goal is to keep them winning and keep me a secret!"  Isn't that awesome?  SHE doesn't want the success for HER....she wants it for her students.  Of course she's proud of them, but it is apparent that her pride comes from what they are doing and not on what she is doing.


Many mornings I go to Biblegateway.com for my daily Bible reading.  I use the verse of the day they have on the home page, expand it to the whole chapter, and use it as a study.  Today's verse went right with the speech teachers thought, but in a spiritual sense:

“God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them." 

Hebrews 6:10

You probably know, as I do, some who want glory for themselves.  Success can turn into self-pride in a hurry.  However, if we're truly concerned with being successful, we will care about helping others be successful and not with what we get out of it.  Just like our speech teacher, Jesus went about doing good for others....never worrying about whether or not his ego was being puffed up.  Sadly, the latter is seen far too often.

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.” 

Colossians 3:23