Celebrate your successes with caution!

Luke 10:17-24

17 The seventy came back triumphant. "Master, even the demons danced to your tune!" 18 Jesus said, "I know. I saw Satan fall, a bolt of lightning out of the sky. 19 See what I've given you? Safe passage as you walk on snakes and scorpions, and protection from every assault of the Enemy. No one can put a hand on you. 20 All the same, the great triumph is not in your authority over evil, but in God's authority over you and presence with you. Not what you do for God but what God does for you-- that's the agenda for rejoicing." 21 At that, Jesus rejoiced, exuberant in the Holy Spirit. "I thank you, Father, Master of heaven and earth, that you hid these things from the know- it- alls and showed them to these innocent newcomers. Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way. 22" I've been given it all by my Father! Only the Father knows who the Son is and only the Son knows who the Father is. The Son can introduce the Father to anyone he wants to. " 23 He then turned in a private aside to his disciples." Fortunate the eyes that see what you're seeing! 24 There are plenty of prophets and kings who would have given their right arm to see what you are seeing but never got so much as a glimpse, to hear what you are hearing but never got so much as a whisper. "

Food for thought!

When the Seventy disciples returned on their first weekend, they were radiant with the triumphs which they had wrought in the name of Jesus; they had achieved a lot. They were happy for their results, just as we are at the end of the month or at weekend. It is good to celebrate our victories, our successes. It is good to tell Jesus, not only our problems, but also our successes. Some of us talk to the Lord only when we are afflicted, never when we are celebrating our milestones.

However, many times our joy is misplaced and/or breeds pride. After telling Jesus about their victories, Jesus immediately said to them, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from Heaven." That is a difficult phrase to understand. It may have been a warning against pride. The legend was that it was for pride towards God that Satan was cast out of heaven and glory. It may be that Jesus was saying to the rejoicing disciples, "You have had your triumphs; keep yourselves from pride, for once the chief of all the angels fell to pride and was cast from heaven."

Certainly Jesus went on to warn his disciples against pride and over-confidence. It was true that they were given all power, but their greatest glory was that their names were written in heaven. It will always remain true that our greatest glory is not what we have done but what God has done for us. 

We should rejoice not because we made so much money this week, or that we broke so many deals, or that we have had so much success this week; we should rejoice rather because the Lord has used us to serve his people. In other words, we rejoice for being known by heaven, and for having our names written in heaven. This is the true cause for joy and glory.