"So that no one may boast before him."

1 Corinthians 1:29 (NIV)

God designed His entire system to prevent us from taking credit. We need to UNLEARN our desire to boast. This short verse is the ultimate purpose behind everything Paul just explained. God chooses the weak, the foolish, and the nobodies for one simple reason.

Pride is the oldest sin in the book. As Proverbs 16:18 warns us, "Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall." God knows how quickly we grab glory. When we succeed at something, our first instinct is to pat ourselves on the back. That's not good.

When broken people help broken people, God's wisdom becomes clear. He knew that if He used qualified, impressive people, we'd give them the credit. He knew that if successful people made disciples, we'd focus on their methods and skills. So He deliberately chooses the weak and broken to do His most important work. When transformation happens through obviously flawed people, there's only one explanation: God did it.

This is why God's method is genius: it eliminates human pride from the equation. We should embrace our weaknesses instead of hiding them. He uses people who are clearly unqualified so that His power becomes obvious. When transformation happens through someone who obviously couldn't have done it themselves, pride becomes impossible.

On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong became the first person to walk on the moon. As he stepped onto the lunar surface, he famously said, "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." Notice he didn't say, "Look what I did" or "This is my achievement." He understood that this moment belonged to something much bigger than himself.

The world tells us to build our personal brand and promote ourselves constantly. Social media encourages us to highlight our successes and show off our achievements. But God's kingdom operates on completely different principles. In discipleship, we must UNLEARN the urge to make ourselves look good and focus on making Him look good. Like that song says, "It's all about You, Jesus!"

Godseekers, check your ego at the door. When God uses your brokenness to help someone else heal, resist the urge to take credit. This is what discipleship looks like when we UNLEARN pride and embrace humility. Point them to the real source of healing, and when breakthrough happens through your weakness, make sure everyone knows it wasn't your strength that made the difference.

Prayer

Dear Lord, help me UNLEARN the pride that wants to take credit for Your work. When You use me to help others, keep my heart humble and my focus on You. Remind me that any good thing that comes through my life is evidence of Your power, not my ability. Help me point others to You when they thank me for helping them. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Personal Reflection

• When has God used you to help someone, and how did you respond to their gratitude?
• How can you better point people to God when they credit you for helping them?

Step of Faith

Today, when someone thanks me for helping them, I will redirect their gratitude to God and share how He worked through my weakness.