Perspective

Gratitude.

Humility.

Not very popular words in our current culture, are they? All too often, they’re not even popularly applied in the Christian culture. Applying them requires putting self last, placing another in higher esteem than we hold ourselves. This has been on my mind for a few weeks, so I thought I’d talk about it here at Novel Journey today.

Let’s be real with each other – it’s not our instinct to think of others as more important than ourselves. We’re taught – by our schools, our peers, our advertising, our television shows, our books, even some of our churches – that we should love ourselves, respect ourselves, honor ourselves. And, perhaps, there’s some truth to that.

But loving myself all too easily becomes worshiping myself, being prideful of my accomplishments, thinking highly of the things that I have done. Calling myself a “best-selling author” or “award-winning novelist” or “ground-breaking publicist” or “innovative publisher” or “insightful editor” – useful terms when working “in” a world while not being “of” it. Yet I fear we’ve begun to apply those labels to ourselves, to internalize the praise of the world on our projects.

When, in reality, I have done nothing apart from exist in Him. And existing in Him – just stop reading, close your eyes, and think of that for a minute.

Existing in Him.

He creates light.

He creates light.

He created the best, most epic story ever conceived in the universe – the story that is still playing out every single second this planet turns. And He lets me exist in Him.

He lets me be a wife, a mom, a daughter, a publicist, a novelist, a sister, a friend, a church-goer, in Him. Who am I that He should even breathe life into me? Much less create a plan for me? A plan that prospers me?

I’ve been astounded all over again these past few weeks as God tips His bucket of blessings on my path – ticking satan off in the process so that with the blessings come unspeakable tragedies. And I’ve been reminded that it is all – all – to bring Him glory. If I sell a million books, that’s because He chose to make it so. If I manage to get an author on the Today Show or Good Morning America, that’s because He chose to make it so. If you sell a book, that’s because He chose to make it so.

In the face of this, how can we ever point to an accomplishment and tell others it’s because we’re good, we worked hard, or we did something? How can we say anything other than, “That happened because He chose to make it so.” Some days, it even feels selfish to say, “That happened because I answered His call on my life.” Because, in reality, that happened because He chose to place a call on my life in the first place.
I don’t want to negate our responsibility to act on His will, to actively engage with Him and walk down the path He places in front of us. But I have been thinking a lot of how much time I spend on praise of self vs. praise of Him for the path He created.
He created a path. In the midst of spinning the world, painting universes, pulling life from the ground, directing the symphony of creation. He created a path. Praise be to a God who loves even the creation that rejects Him.

Rebeca Seitz is Founder and President of Glass Road Public Relations, the only publicity firm of its kind in the country dedicated solely to representing novelists writing from a Christian worldview. Her debut novel Prints Charming is available in stores now.

WATCH REBECA TODAY (MAY 11) ON THE HARVEST SHOW. Check www.harvest-tv.com for local listings.