Not Your Story: The Fatal Error of Claiming God’s Glory

The moment you call it yours, you begin to lose what was meant to glorify Him.

There is a silent tragedy that unfolds when man begins to take glory in what God has authored. Every story that begins with God must end with God, for He alone is the Alpha and the Omega. Yet, when success blooms and the fragrance of favor fills the air, the human heart is easily deceived into believing it has done it by its own strength. It begins to whisper, “My hand and my wisdom have gotten me this.” But that is where many fall, for the glory that belongs to God cannot be handled by flesh.

The Subtle Rise of the Self-Made Attitude

The self-made attitude creeps in quietly, not in words, but in posture. It starts when man measures progress by his effort and forgets the grace that sustains him. Pride does not always shout; sometimes it hides beneath hard work and success, until a man begins to think he made himself. But the Word reminds us, “It is He who gives you power to get wealth.” (Deuteronomy 8:18).

Nebuchadnezzar once stood upon the heights of his palace and declared, “Is not this the great Babylon that I have built by my mighty power and for the honor of my majesty?” (Daniel 4:30). In that instant, heaven answered, and the king was stripped of his splendor, driven among the beasts, and made to eat grass like oxen until his reason returned and his eyes lifted once more to the Most High. His fall was not for lack of greatness, but for forgetting its Giver. When a man forgets his Maker, the crown becomes a curse.

The Pattern of Pride and the Hand of God

The seed of pride has been seen across generations. Pharaoh hardened his heart against the Lord, saying, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice?” (Exodus 5:2). Yet the hand of God humbled Egypt, drowning its chariots in the sea. Herod too, receiving the praise of men who shouted, “The voice of a god, and not of a man!” (Acts 12:22), was struck down and eaten by worms because he did not give glory to God. The glory of man is a fading flower; the breath that boasts is the same that can be taken in an instant.

“God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.”— James 4:6

Pride blinds the heart to its dependence. When man begins to glorify himself, he writes his own downfall. Saul was once small in his own eyes, yet when he sought the applause of men more than the obedience of God, the kingdom was torn from him. His anointing, which once flowed like oil, turned to dryness. The throne he tried to protect became the very altar of his undoing.

The Beauty of Humble Dependence

In contrast stands David, who, though mighty in battle, never forgot Who gave him victory. Facing the giant, he said, “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from this Philistine.” (1 Samuel 17:37). Even as king, he sang, “Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto Thy name give glory.” (Psalm 115:1). David understood that no throne is secure when glory is misplaced.

When man forgets that he is but dust, he begins to worship the works of his own hands. He polishes his achievements, builds monuments to his name, and calls it greatness. Yet heaven sees it as rebellion, for no vessel has ever been the source of its own oil.

Returning the Glory to Its Rightful Owner

Beloved, every breath we take, every door that opens, every gift that shines, is grace; not achievement. The moment you call it yours, you begin to lose what was meant to glorify Him. Let your victories be altars, not trophies. Let your success be a song that returns upward, not an echo that dies within your name.