Do People Praise God Because of You?

Daily Devotional – Sunday, December 17, 2023
And they praised God because of me.
Galatians 1:24 (NIV)

After Paul met Jesus on the road to Damascus, he stayed away from Jerusalem for three years. He spent most of this time in Arabia. When he finally returned to Jerusalem, he looked for Peter and stayed with the latter for fifteen days. He also met Elder James, the half-brother of Jesus.

And They Glorified God Because of Me

Here is Paul’s reflection on his relationship with the church in Jerusalem: “I was personally unknown to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. They only heard the report: “The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.”” (Galatians 1:22-23).

What a pleasant turn of events! The man they had dreaded before was now their ally. He had undergone a total character transformation. Paul had not met his Judean brethren, but he could confidently attest, “And they praised God because of me” (verse 24). In other words, Paul’s transition from rebel to ardent defender brought glory to God.

Do People Praise God Because of You?

According to this passage, when we allow God to change us, the rest of the world notices. Moreover, whenever a sinner turns to God in repentance, society glorifies God because only He has the power to perform such a miracle. That means we can make a deliberate decision to make our families and societies happier by surrendering our lives to God.

This begs the question: do people praise God because of you? Can those who know and interact with you attest that the Holy Spirit lives in you and that you are undergoing transformation? What significant positive character change can you say you have experienced since you started following Jesus? The greatest testimony of the power of grace is your genuine transformation.

Prayer
Dear Holy Spirit, continue transforming me so that people may praise God because of me.