"You may say to yourself, 'My power and the strength of my hands have
produced this wealth for me.'" Deuteronomy 8:17
We've all
heard someone say, "He's a self-made man." What are they saying in
this statement? Are they saying that this individual achieved success by his
hard work and sweat? Many a person has achieved success through honest hard
work. There is a danger for any of us who may have achieved significance
through our work. That danger is the belief that we achieved it through our own
efforts apart from God's grace and mercy. When we live in this belief, we
assert that we are entitled to certain rights and privileges because of the
position we have earned and feel we deserve.
The
prodigal son's brother who refused to celebrate the wayward son's return was a
man who felt he was entitled to certain rights. He saw himself as one who had
been faithful to his responsibilities and deserving of more attention. He could
not appreciate his brother's failure and the pain of falling into a sinful life
because, in his mind, he had never failed. This pride kept him from
experiencing God's real grace. This is how legalism develops in believers. It
grows into a cold heart and an insensitive attitude toward others who may have
stumbled in their lives. This same brother did not truly understand the love of
his father apart from works; for he felt he gained acceptance only by doing his
job.
Do you
feel accepted by God, regardless of what you do? Have you wrongfully viewed
your works as something you alone have achieved? These are the minefields of
which each of us in business must be aware. God has gifted us to accomplish
anything through His grace, not by our works.
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