“I have been reading biographies of the Grand Dames of the past,” my friend shared one day. “I emulate them. I, too, want to be remembered for my influential civil works. I want to be a Grand Dame.”
However, she was repeatedly hurt because no one seemed interested in acclaiming her. If she only knew the one who merits all the acclaim, she could cease her endless quest for self-glory and drink from God's river of life.
We live in a culture that exalts productivity and profit. As a Christian, I long for my hands, words, actions, and choices to benefit God’s kingdom. However, as I look at patterns in Scripture and consider my inner desires for recognition and success, I must reconsider what motivates my actions.
In the beginning, God created a river to nourish the beautiful garden of Eden. It branched into four different regions, each enriched by God. Two chapters after we read about that, we read of Cain murdering his brother, Abel. And further, that he was unrepentant. God exiled him, and Cain followed one of God’s rivers to establish a city for his glory.
After the flood, we see the same pattern. Although Nimrod, the great city builder, was a mighty hunter, he founded the wicked city of Babel on the Euphrates. Babel sought to raise its tower of self-glory, defiantly reaching toward heaven. People followed God’s life-giving waters while denying the Source. So, God scattered them, hoping they would seek Him anew.
God’s life-giving provision, lovingkindness, truth, and grace flow daily into our lives. We drink from His river of delights each time we fix our eyes on Jesus and pursue His glory instead of our own.
As you follow God’s living waters, ensure that you also pursue His glory.
Kim Robinson is a former schoolteacher who has taught in rural and central Oregon, Alaska, and with Mercy Ships in Africa. She currently lives in Salem, Oregon, where she is delighted to serve the Lord as a mom, grandma, writer, copy editor, and encourager of others.