Glory to God

When something good happens in your life, do you remember to give God the glory? How about when something bad happens, do you turn to God and ask "Why did you let that happen?!"

I used to view life's events in this hot and cold sort of manner, or worse, when something good would happen in my life, it would be days or weeks later that I would remember to give the credit to God. I think as your typical over-achiever, I had a certain amount of pride that wanted to take all the credit for myself in my accomplishments. "Well, I'm the one who studied so hard for that test, so I'm the one who earned the high grade." It's admittedly a very selfish and naive point-of-view.

It felt awkward for me at first to give the glory of my accomplishments to God in the moment. For some reason I felt almost silly or childish expressing the words "Praise God for [fill in the blank]!" But eventually it became easier for me to make that my first response.

Now, in the midst of infertility, I have learned all the more reason to give all glory to God. After all, it is only He who has the ability to create life.

This is hard for me when friends or family make unsolicited suggestions. I know they mean well, and perhaps really do feel led by the Lord to pass along the said advice. But what always alarms me when I'm told a specific suggestion is when the person says, "You should try [insert advised medical procedure or alternative practice] because it worked for my [insert relational descriptor like friend, cousin, sister, etc.]" You see, the practice or procedure is not what was successful in the conception of a life - God allowed that procedure to work and He chose for the life to be conceived.

It all comes down to: What are you placing your faith and hope in? The procedure or the one and only Holy God?

I do believe that God has granted the human race with wisdom and knowledge to develop these medical practices that are used to promote conception of a life, but their efforts are completely futile without God being in the picture. They do not work by themselves. God allows those procedures, at certain times, according to His perfect timing and will, to become the avenue through which He creates life.

Don't limit yourself into thinking that you needed the procedure in order to conceive. God has the infinite power to conceive a child in your womb at any time, without the help from modern or alternative medicine. Give Him the credit He is due. If or when the procedure leads to a successful pregnancy, give ALL the glory to God - for allowing the creation of the procedure, and for using that procedure as the mechanism through which He created life according to His plan. As the Bible so frequently says, "To Him be the glory forever. Amen."