But when he was strong...

And his fame spread far, for he was marvelously helped, till he was strong. But when he was strong, he grew proud, to his destruction. (2 Chronicles 26:15-16 ESV)


In reading 2 Chr 26 today I was struck by Uzziah's progression of following hard after God to following hard after himself.  The turning point in his life is stated clearly in verses 15 & 16. Uzziah forgot that who he was and what he accomplished was from God and not from himself. Paul echoes a similar caution: "What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?" (1 Corinthians 4:7 ESV)

I am not picking on Uzziah, because his story is rife throughout the Bible.  Some men turn it around (i.e. David, while others don't (i.e. Gideon). Furthermore, this pattern repeats itself throughout our lives. God turns our life around and after a few years (or months, or weeks) we think that we have accomplished great things for Him. Worse, we somehow delude ourselves into thinking we can do this Christianity thing on our own. Or, if we're really humbly we think we can do it with "God as our co-pilot".

Into this delusion, Paul speaks emphatically: "Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?" (Galatians 3:2-3 ESV). May I make a bold statement? We cannot live the Christian life; We cannot do what Jesus did. We are utterly, completely and eternally dependent on God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit for salvation, sanctification and for glorification. The Bible is full of imagery, but look at John 15.  We are branches, but Jesus is the vine. Branches are completely dependent on the vine, both for their sustenance and for the quality of the fruit they produce.

The bottom-line? If God is causing growth in your life, praise and thank Him. But remember that He is our strength. If we leave Him, we will grow proud to our destruction.

To God Alone be the Glory.