You can't take credit for this

My devotional a while back was about spiritual growth, here's what it had to say...
How much of my spiritual growth depends on me- on my commitment, hard work, and tears-and how much depends on the holy spirit? I'll attempt to make sense of this question by telling a story,when i spent a semester as an exchange student at a university in Nairobi, Kenya.  I remember having a picnic with two our friends one Sunday afternoon after they'd observed us buying groceries for the little boy who stood begging at the church exit every week. "You're not like the other Americans", one of our friends said to us. "And your not like us" You do things we never would have thought of. why are you different? This was one of those moments when the holy spirit must have given me the words to say, because I'm usually a flustered, bumbling fool whenever someone asks about my "christian hope" ( see 1 peter 3:15) Without hesitation i picked up my bible, turned to Ephesians 2:8-10, and read these verses aloud- Sarah Arthur

In my own spiritual growth, God has taught me so much. Especially these past four years at college. Sometimes we want to take credit for the things that we do but then we realize that it's not about us it's about God. No matter how hard it may be sometimes i believe that everyday we should strive to become the godly men and women that he wants us to be. It's important to remember that no matter what we face he is always their with us. This makes me think of one my favorite verses, Joshua 1:9 which says..".Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” I know that all of the credit in my life, goes to God. Just like Ephesians 2:8-10 says, "this is not from ourselves it is a gift from God".


Ephesians 2:8-10 says...
 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. not by works, so that no one can boast.