When Peter came into Caesarea to meet Cornelius there were many wonderful things taught in this first recorded conversion of a Gentile into Jesus Christ.  Among those many lessons was the following: “And as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him, and fell down at his feet, and worshipped him.  But Peter took him up, saying, Stand up; I myself also am a man” (Acts 10:25-26).  What Peter did was a good lesson on many different levels.  First off, what Peter did shows that the Apostles are not, and were not, to be worshipped.  Secondly, this verse helps us to understand that man is not to be worshipped.  Thirdly, along the lines of the purpose of our article, we find that Peter realized his place.  Peter knew that he was a man and this puts him beneath God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (I Corinthians 11:1 and I John 5:7).  It would seem that many that are merely men of our day have forgotten this principle.

     In the world, man is exalted for what we deem to be great achievements.  We have sports halls of fame, music halls of fame, etc.  If you can score so many points per game in basketball you will be on the covers of magazines, in ads selling the tennis shoes you get paid millions of dollars to wear, and many other extreme things.  The songs that a man writes or sings will get dubbed golden if they sell so many.  We display art at times not because of its beauty, but because of who created that piece of art.  Let’s not forget about those in the film business.  If you are a great actor you will have people pay many thousands of dollars just for your picture.  On and on we could go about how we honor men in enormous ways.  But, where does God fit into all this?  Is it good enough that a man accepting an award mentions God right before and after he curses?  Is it good enough that an athlete will wear a pagan image of a cross around his or her neck?  How is it, that man is often put into a greater light than his creator and sustainer?

     The beloved Apostle Paul wrote clearly about what things God should receive the glory for.  Paul wrote: “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God” (I Corinthians 10:31).  We need to realize the words of the inspired Apostle Paul.  We need to put them into application.  Those words teach us that God is be glorified in all that we do.  If we accomplish some great task in this life, we need to realize that this was done through the abilities that the Lord has blessed us with.  So many people have the “I” syndrome when we really need to know that it is not I, but the Lord who does great things.

     The glory that belongs to God is above all things on this earth.  The Psalmist makes this point rather eloquently by saying: “Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; let thy glory be above all the earth” (Psalms 57:5).  If one were to just look around and see the handy work of the Lord, they would know why He alone should have the glory in all things good.  In fact, the Psalmist makes this point as well saying: “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork” (Psalms 19:1).

     When anyone studies the sixty-six books of the Bible they see men and women who have done great things.  They even find those who vainly take the glory for what God has equipped them to do (Isaiah 10:5-12).  However, when you look to examples of faithful disciples of the Lord you will find no glory seekers.  In fact, consider the great things that were accomplished through the work of the beloved Apostle Paul.  Consider how many congregations were established, elderships put in place, souls converted to Christ, and other great works done through Paul.  However, if you were to look for Paul writing about those things as his accomplishments, you would not find a text that says such.  Rather you would find examples like this: “And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen” (II Timothy 4:18).  Paul did not accomplish things on his own.  Paul realized it was the Lord that provided the means and opportunities to do great things.  Therefore, Paul paid the glory to God.

     In our day, there are men that actually keep records of those they have helped in obeying the Gospel.  These records are not kept as a way to keep in touch with those individuals, but rather to show how many they have baptized.  This attitude, rest in the very depths of vanity.  I knew a man several years ago among the liberals in Christiansburg, VA.  This man could not help but tell everyone the great the HE had accomplished.  Forget hearing about the Lord, it was all him.  This attitude is far short of giving God the glory.  What all saints need is a great deal of humility as servants of the Lord.

     It is humility that is shown when one understands and proclaims that they are but a man.  It is humility that is shown when one realizes and declares that all the good they accomplish was through the help of God.  It takes humility for one to obey God (James 4:6-7).  It takes an attitude of a servant to continue to follow (Romans 6:16-18).  If we find that we are lacking in humility, we need to change that and become a servant to the Lord.

     “Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.  Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” (Philippians 2:4-8).  The words Paul wrote to the Philippians, in our text above, are words directed towards the subject matter of humility.  So many seek greatness without realizing what Christ defined as being great among men.  Notice what our Lord said to the Pharisees and scribes: “But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant” (Matthew 23:11).

     Greatness is often measured by the terms the world has set forth.  Many people today measure greatness based upon money, career success, worldly belongings, political placement, popularity, physical appearance, etc.  In reality the aforementioned things only measure the worth of a person who is worldly (Matthew 6:19-21, I Timothy 6:6-10, I John 2:15-17, and Romans 12:1-2).  As pointed out above, Jesus measured greatness by one’s willingness to serve.  Jesus taught this to His disciples by washing their feet (John 13:3ff.).  As Jesus finished washing His disciples feet the text reveals this lesson: “So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you?  Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.  If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet.  For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.  Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.  If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them” (John 13:12-17).  Jesus was able to become a servant because He was humble.  This did not lessen the fact that He was deity (Matthew 1:23).  This did not remove His power to save (Romans 5:6-9).  His humility makes Him great (Matthew 11:26-30)!

     We are but men and women.  We were created to be servants of the most high God (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14).  God’s view on pride is very clear throughout the Scriptures.  He simply does not approve of man being full of pride (Proverbs 6:16-19, Proverbs 8:13, Proverbs 16:18, and Proverbs 29:23).  God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble (I Peter 5:5-6).  Pride is often what stands between God and man.  In Jesus Christ, the Apostles, and the faithful prophets that preceded them; we find humble servants of God.  We too need to imitate the attitude of a servant.  We should not allow ourselves to fall into the damning need to be exalted.

     Long before we shall receive honor of the Lord, we first must be humble (Proverbs 15:33).  Heaven is not a place for those among us who seek to be chief, for there is already a king in Heaven.  Let’s render glory unto the Lord and receive the servants reward!  We are but men and women, let’s act like it.