Deflecting Praise

Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth’s sake. —Psalms 115:1

On Easter Sunday in 1993, Bernhard Langer won the Master’s Golf Tournament—One of golf’s most prestigious awards.  A reporter approached Langer and said, “This must be the greatest day of your life!” Without hesitating, Langer answered, “It’s wonderful to win the greatest tournament in the world, but it means more to win on Easter Sunday—to celebrate the resurrection of my Lord and Savior.”

As Paul wrote, “God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Gal. 6:14), Langer refused to glory in himself. Instead, he deflected the glory to his Savior—The Lord Jesus Christ.

Pride looks for ways to draw attention to our accomplishments. Humility looks for ways to deflect the praise back to God and others who are actually responsible for any success in our lives.  For example, someone says, “I really liked the special you sang at church this morning.” A good response would be, “It’s easy to sing well when you are singing about Jesus.” Or, “Our pianist makes any singer sound good.”

You can’t glory in Jesus when you are preoccupied with yourself. Therefore, look for opportunities to deflect the praise to Him who made your success possible. As James M. Gray wrote in that blessed hymn…

Naught have I gotten but what I received,

Grace hath bestowed it since I have believed;

Boasting excluded, pride I abase

I’m only a sinner saved by grace!

    Don’t forget what happened to Herod— “And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory” (Acts 12:23).