Tuesday August 3rd, 2021

It is exciting and gratifying to win in life. Whether it is in school, sports, work, or even at home in our family lives, getting a win feels good. But from where do those wins come from? And are they wins, or blessings? We all have a choice to view the positive things in our lives as wins — things we have personally acquired through our own actions— or blessings — things given to us by our loving Father. When we choose to view our lives through the former lens, we may end up like Simon the Sorcerer. There is a story in Acts of Simon the Sorcerer, someone who had created a great following for himself because of the “sorcery” he could perform. He boasted greatly in his power, and did so because he commanded the attention and respect of those both high and low in society. He was a self-made man. But after one meeting with Philip, where he heard the good news of Jesus Christ, the Bible says, “Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw.” We all have a tendency to believe the things we do are great; our pride and self-reliance interferes with our ability to see God’s hand in our lives. Simon, a man who was used to astonishing everyone else with his powers, after giving himself to the Lord, was “astonished” by what he saw by the hand of the Lord. What we can learn from Simon the Sorcerer is that no matter how great we may think we are, we are greatest when God works through us. Today, choose to see the blessings in your life instead of just the wins.

“Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great, and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, “This man is rightly called the Great Power of God.” They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his sorcery. But when they believed Philip as he proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw.” — Acts 8:9-13 NIV