Last Sunday at the Oscars, Matthew McConaughey won the Oscar for Best Actor. I haven't seen the film and I'll just assume that the Academy gave him something quite deserved. McConaughey is not your typical Oscar-type actor, however he won and became a trending topic once he began to speak. He was in his typical form and made you feel like you were having a conversation with him, rather than just him giving a speech. But he makes a statement about needing something to look up to...and that something for him is God. I have to say that this kind of honor bestowed on God at first puts me on alert and I start to become extremely critical. I tired quickly of watching American Idol and hearing almost every contestant say that if it is God's Will that they move on to the next round, then they will. Well...I'm not sure God really cares if one of his children wins American Idol or not. And what I mean by that is God loves it when his children succeed in life and when they use their skill and talent that he has given them. But God doesn't really WILL you to win a million dollars or sign a huge contract or gain you an academy award. His WILL for your life is to glorify Him and live for His kingdom.
With that being said I cannot come down hard on someone who gives credit or glory to God. I'm not a huge fan when they make it out that God WON the award for them, because that would mean that God must hate all the other competitors and didn't choose for them to win. Which begins an idea that somehow if we are holy enough, we will fair better in this World and its activities. And all we have to do to debunk that idea is look at Jesus. But I can appreciate that when someone succeeds at life, they give God credit for giving them their skill, talent, and even opportunity.
People will and have been critical of Matthew McConaughey's speech. People will say all kinds of stuff about how his film doesn't match the conservative values of God. I'm not interested in those debates. For times like these I hang on to this scripture and principle that Jesus shapes in his own disciples:
49 “Master,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we tried to stop him, because he is not one of us.” 50 “Do not stop him,” Jesus said, “for whoever is not against you is for you.” -Luke 9:49-50 (NIV)
So when someone chooses to give God credit and glory, maybe we can be happy that God's name has been spoken positively and glory has been shown on him. We need to quit being God's Secret Service and acting as if God cannot take care of himself and we need to protect His name, reputation, and make sure everyone has the RIGHT theology. It doesn't hurt to have honest dialogue with other believers about what may or may not be the ways of God, but updating your status on social media to rail against how someone spoke of God, just makes us look way too critical and we need a more accepting, merciful, and forgiving perspective.
To God Be The Glory!!
With that being said I cannot come down hard on someone who gives credit or glory to God. I'm not a huge fan when they make it out that God WON the award for them, because that would mean that God must hate all the other competitors and didn't choose for them to win. Which begins an idea that somehow if we are holy enough, we will fair better in this World and its activities. And all we have to do to debunk that idea is look at Jesus. But I can appreciate that when someone succeeds at life, they give God credit for giving them their skill, talent, and even opportunity.
People will and have been critical of Matthew McConaughey's speech. People will say all kinds of stuff about how his film doesn't match the conservative values of God. I'm not interested in those debates. For times like these I hang on to this scripture and principle that Jesus shapes in his own disciples:
49 “Master,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we tried to stop him, because he is not one of us.” 50 “Do not stop him,” Jesus said, “for whoever is not against you is for you.” -Luke 9:49-50 (NIV)
So when someone chooses to give God credit and glory, maybe we can be happy that God's name has been spoken positively and glory has been shown on him. We need to quit being God's Secret Service and acting as if God cannot take care of himself and we need to protect His name, reputation, and make sure everyone has the RIGHT theology. It doesn't hurt to have honest dialogue with other believers about what may or may not be the ways of God, but updating your status on social media to rail against how someone spoke of God, just makes us look way too critical and we need a more accepting, merciful, and forgiving perspective.
To God Be The Glory!!
RSS Feed
