Give God the Credit

When Paul and Barnabas were on their first mission, they found a man who had been “cripple from his mother’s womb” in a city called Lystra.  Paul perceived that “he had faith to be healed” and so through the power of Christ he healed him.  The reaction of the people stunned Paul: “And when the people saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men.  And they called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercurius, because he was the chief speaker.”  Hearing that the people were calling them gods, Paul and Barnabas “rent their clothes, and ran in among the people, crying out, and saying, Sirs, why do ye these things?  We also are men of like passions with you” (Acts 14:11-15).  I love their reaction: they were completely appalled at the praise they received for the miracle.  I think we see this same kind of reaction from the true servants of God in the scriptures when they receive credit for the works God does through them.  

                Nephi showed the same repulsion to his brothers who similarly sought to worship him.  On their journey back from Jerusalem after getting Ishmael’s family, his brothers tied him up and sought to take away his life.  When they were finally convinced of their wickedness, “they did bow down” before Nephi asking for forgiveness.  He forgave them and quickly told them “that they should pray unto the Lord their God for forgiveness” (1 Nephi 7:20-21).  Many years later when Nephi was trying to get his brothers to help him build the ship, they opposed him and after chastising them, Nephi was able to stretch forth his hand and “the Lord did shake them” so that they felt the power of God.  Their reaction was this according to Nephi: “And they feel down before me, and were about to worship me.”  But Nephi “would not suffer them” to do this and immediately told them to “worship the Lord” (1 Nephi 17:54-55).  Nephi knew his place and knew that the power was God’s, not his. 

                In the Old Testament, Elijah likewise showed that he understood where his power came.  After he instructed Naaman on how he could be healed, Naaman eventually followed his directions and was miraculously healed.  This was the Syrian’s response to Elijah after the healing: “Behold, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel: now therefore, I pray thee, take a blessing of thy servant.”  But Elijah would have nothing of the sort: “As the Lord liveth, before whom I stand, I will receive none” (2 Kings 5:15-16).  He was not going to be allowed to be paid for the miracles that God did.  Unfortunately his servant Gehazi was not so determined and sought the reward from Naaman, resulting in his receiving the leprosy.  The lesson is clear: we must never take credit for what God does. 

                There are other examples we could cite in the scriptures that show how the servants of God refuse to take credit for that which God does.  We must be vigilant that if we are ever blessed to do some good work, small or great, through the power of God, we don’t forget that it is God that does the work.  We know that “in the strength of the Lord [we] canst do all things,” but without the Lord, “man is nothing” (Alma 20:4, Moses 1:10).