Humbled Servants

Have you ever seen a pufferfish, also called a blowfish? The first time I saw one was on the end of a fishing line; Bill’s Mom caught one and as soon as she reeled it in, the fish inflated itself into a round ball. One of the strangest things I’ve ever seen!

Boasting may not come easy for us, but Christians have great cause to boast about God’s Grace! Pufferfish are slow and somewhat clumsy swimmers, and biologists think their famous “inflatability” is a defense against predators. In lieu of escape, pufferfish use their highly elastic stomachs to quickly ingest huge amounts of water and air to make themselves virtually inedible. I suspect many of us suffer from “inflatability.” How quickly and easily we forget the cost of our salvation: Paul writes, “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:10a). Oh, sure, God gave us gifts for which we are grateful and should use for Him but WE don’t produce His glory – our redeemed state is a product of His love, His mercy, His grace. It is His grace invested and upon us from whence His glory is revealed. We are simply vessels to His glorious revelation! Casting Crowns sings, “Not because of who I am – But because of what You’ve done – Not because of what I’ve done – But because of Who You are.” Nothing – not one thing – accomplished through us can we claim but rather, “it was not I but the grace of God that is with me.” (V.10b). Hooray for pufferfish but to God be the glory for His glory ever revealed in His humbled servants!