Just Say Thank You!

I always feel awkward receiving complements from people after preaching. For a long time I never knew what to say. I want to be humble, but not to over the top where it comes off as false humility.

Then you have the super religious people who are judging how you respond. Religious people want you to say something churchy and unchurched people wonder why you can’t just receive a compliment.

My Mom told a pastor once he did a great job and his reply was, “don’t thank me it was all God, you should thank God, not me.” It made my my Mom feel bad for saying he did a good job.

The truth is it was not all God, if it were allGod, it would have been a lot better! God could do a better job if He chose not to use me! If it were all God, we should just put a mic up there and let Him speak (I know he really wouldn’t need a mic).  

But that is the incredible part, God often uses people in spite of their incompetence. My freshman year in college I literally was scared to death to speak to a class of 17 students. I had a speech class and I would shake so bad during my 3-5 minute speech, I could feel my head shaking like a bobble head doll.

Yet God still chooses to use us! So just be thankful. Just learn to say thank you. Everyone who knows me, knows if I have anything good to say it was from God.