Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to Your name give glory because of Your lovingkindness, because of Your truth. (vs. 1)
The Lord is high above all nations; His glory is above the heavens. Who is like the Lord our God, who is enthroned on high, who humbles Himself to behold the things that are in heaven and in the earth? (113:4-6)
It is incredible how self-centered we can become. Even those engaged in ministry with the very best intentions can slip into self-promotion if they are not careful. Yet, the God we serve is the only one worthy of promotion and glory. There is no one like Him. He is the creator and sustainer of all things. His glory is above the heavens, and yet because of His great love and mercy, He stoops to involve Himself in every aspect of our minuscule lives. He doesn’t need us, but we can’t even breathe without Him. Our entire lives, every word, every thought, every action should be more about Him and less about us.
This truth prompted the psalmist to proclaim, “not to us, but to Your name give glory.” Then he tells us exactly why we should be promoting God and not ourselves: because of His lovingkindness and because of His truth. God’s character and His word proclaim that He is worthy. Think of all the Lord has done for you; think of His kindness towards you and His daily care. Remember how He sent His Son to the cross and the price paid for your redemption. Think about the truth of God’s word and the way it shapes and changes everything.
It is clear that no one else is worthy, especially me. God forbid that I should get so caught up in doing good things for God that I begin to take credit for His work. People are kind, and we all appreciate a pat on the back, but may I never make the mistake of touching His glory. We must remember that every good and perfect gift comes from God because of His lovingkindness and truth. We can take credit for nothing. Yet sometimes, that is precisely what we do. We think people were changed because of something we said, or we think that an event was successful because of something we did. We must be people who lift up Jesus while we shrink into the background avoiding every opportunity to take credit. Let every thought, word, and deed become an opportunity to promote Jesus and not yourself. That is what faithfulness looks like.
