Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,
Ephesians 3:8-10
By any measure Paul devoted his life to spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ and succeeded in ways that are almost unimaginable. In fact, the impact of his life and ministry went far beyond what human gifts or talents could explain. Paul had great power from God on his work, and that was the secret of his undeniable success. The people in Thessalonica who objected to his preaching inadvertently expressed the dramatic impact Paul was having. “And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also;” (Acts 17:6).
Yet despite all of his accomplishments, the churches founded and the people converted, Paul was not impressed with himself. He knew the real man he described as “the least of all saints” and he was not about to take credit for what he knew God had accomplished through him. “For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?” (1 Corinthians 4:7). If we properly understand how utterly dependent on God we really are, there will be no room in our hearts for pride to take root. We must keep our focus on Him and redirect any praise or glory we receive for ourselves to Him. The more God uses us, the more reason we have to humbly acknowledge that the results belong to Him.
