It Wasn’t Me
By Jill Beran
Monday, September 18, 2017
“The Lord has done great things for us; we are glad.” Psalm 126:3 ESV
“Did you spill the milk?” “Who forgot to take out the trash?” “Did you leave the door open?” These questions, and others like them, can bring the same response from my five children. If you’re a mom, chances are you may have heard it, too. “It wasn’t me.”
Clearly, taking the blame is something no child wants to do. As we live and learn, we realize we must own our mistakes and admit our sins, but recently I’ve found out there’s a time and place for my little guy’s favorite phrase.
Upon the release of my new Bible study, I’ve heard all kinds of comments. “Jill, you’re amazing!” “I could never do that.” “You’re going to be famous!”
People are excited and full of praise, but at times they are glorifying the wrong person – themselves.
As the publication process unfolded, I knew this could be a potential problem. I found myself wrestling with the desire to be humble and the ability to know how to live out humility. Have you ever been there? You know God’s worked through you, but yet people thank you.
Friend, it’s in that moment we can rightly use my son’s phrase and say, “It wasn’t me.” A great follow-up for that line is found in Psalm 126 verse 3 which says, “The Lord has done great things for us; we are glad.”
If we look at the Psalm in its entirety, we see the Israelites are grateful for God’s restoration. They are praising Him for what He’s done (v.1) and other nations are recognizing the work of His mighty hand as well (v.2).
The final verses of the Psalm remind us that life is not always easy and tears are often part of the process, yet God promises a harvest. Tears, frustration and challenges were part of the publication process and I’m confident they have been part of your journey as well.
But, an even bigger piece of that puzzle is our great God who is continually working to provide all we need.
Restoration is a necessity as we walk down life’s road and it’s what God does time and time again. His work in us, allows Him to do mighty works through us. So the next time someone is attempting to give you the credit, do what my kids do and simply say, “It wasn’t me!”
May those words open the door to a deeper conversation and allow us to praise the One who truly did the work!
Read Psalm 126, reflect on the restoration work God’s done in your life and praise Him for it.
Dear Heavenly Father, You have done great things for me and I am glad. Thank You for the restoration work You’ve done in my life. Restore me again and again. When the praise comes, keep me humble so that I give You the glory and point others to Christ… In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
© 2017 by Jill Beran. All rights reserved.
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Originally published Monday, 18 September 2017.
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