(The following is the August 1 devotional from my Next Step Devotions book. Before reading it, I suggest you read 2 Corinthians 3 and pay close attention to verses 1-6.)

God used Paul mightily as a minister to the Gentiles, yet Paul never sought praise for his accomplishments or abilities. On the contrary, He magnified Christ and minimized himself regularly.

Paul’s opponents sought to impress the Corinthian church with letters of recommendation they brought with them. Some were swayed in favor of Paul’s opponents by these letters and other factors. Paul reminded the church that he didn’t need such documents because the Corinthian Christians were proof of the Holy Spirit working through his ministry. What more excellent recommendation could he produce than the people themselves?

Paul explained the basis of his confidence in God’s work: “Such is the confidence we have through Christ before God. It is not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God. He has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter, but of the Spirit” (vv. 4-6). Paul’s confidence wasn’t in himself but in God’s Spirit.

Pastors and others do well to credit God with the gospel’s impact on hearers. The Holy Spirit is the one who changes hearts through the truth of God’s Word. God uses our passions and bestows on us the spiritual gifts needed to accomplish his purposes, but all the credit goes to him. We should never think that God is fortunate to have talented humans join his team. Instead, we are blessed to be saved by his grace, equipped by him, and called to serve as he leads.

God doesn’t call the qualified; he qualifies the called.

Next Step:
How has God called and equipped you to serve him? How has God uniquely qualified pastors and other leaders at your church? Thank God in prayer for how he equips and uses you and others in ministry. Be specific.