WHAT DO YOU CLING TOO?

Acts 3:11-12

While the beggar held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon's Colonnade. When Peter saw this, he said to them: "Men of Israel, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?"

A number of years ago the Lord moved mightily and visibly in my business life. It was not hard for me to see the miracle of the Lord's work. It was crystal clear. Like in our passage today, people were amazed by the "before" and "after" pictures. People wanted to give me credit, but I knew it was not me, it was God. Describing the miracle to my Christian friends was easy (they were open to seeing God at work). For many of my non-Christian friends it was not so easy. Their explanation for my success was worldly: hard work, experience from the school of hard knocks, and lot's of good luck. It didn't matter to them that I gave the glory to God; they thought I was just being modest or foolish.

Try to imagine: If the beggar's healing had made today's news headlines -- who would get the credit? How would the world explain his healing? Would God get the credit?

There is a warning given to us in the last sentence of this story: "Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?" Our own power or our own godliness?

The crowd's focus was on Peter and John, not on Jesus. We need to watch this as well. When God does a miracle, do I take credit for my own power (ignore God), or do I give God the glory but take credit for my own godliness (as if it was my faith that "allowed" God to perform the miracle)? This is tricky ground. How would you respond? How do you think God wants you to respond?


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