Is it ever okay to take credit for something you did?

October 22, 2026

Maria Desires, Exodus 35, Pride, Psalm 34 Leave a comment

Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him . . . Psalm 34:3–6, NIV

Up until this morning, I have often ‘boasted?’ that my superpower is that I am hardworking. I believe I ‘caught’ this behavior from my dad who came back into my life when he remarried my mom. For nine years, I rarely saw my dad. As a busy army officer, in Europe and two times in Vietnam, he would at most pop in and out of my life.

What else contributed to embracing hard work was influenced by the year in Belgium when I was 14. Now living with my military father,  I took advantage of the opportunity to learn French through attending a local school.

It was both rough and rewarding. Not knowing any of the language, I would sit at my dad’s desk night after night for three hours translating my schoolbooks into English so I could know what was going on in class.  Transitioning to college was a breeze after that year of training.

So, what happened that changed my mind about taking credit for where I am today?  Simply, that the Lord spoke to my heart this morning.

He gently revealed that had He not given me the desire to speak French, had He not given me the discipline to persist, I would not have succeeded.

Reinforcing the truth that our desires come from the Lord, He brought to mind something I still recall from Seventeen magazine. Embedded in an article about weight loss I came across this explanation:  “Discipline is remembering what you want.”  To this day, I would not be able to maintain the discipline of many activities in my life were it not for strong desires.

Do you recall Moses appointing Bezalel to craft artistic works in gold, silver, and bronze? He and his team created fine linens with colored thread. They cut and set jewels as well as carved wood.

The LORD has filled Bezalel with the Spirit of God, giving him great wisdom, ability, and expertise in all kinds of crafts. Exodus 35:31 NLT

Another example of God’s good gift of passions and skills.

Listening to God this morning as He brought all this to mind produced the gift of repentance.

I decided, “No more am I going to take credit for what I am able to do. For my desires and capacities are gifts from the Lord.

Have you eliminated leisure and rest from your life?

May 9, 2024

Maria Exodus 35, God's commands, Rest, Sabbath, Spiritual Practice, Trusting God , , 1 Comment

Yesterday a podcast host I was listening to quoted Dallas Willard’s famous advice for improving one’s spiritual health: “You need to ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life.” The guest then quipped something like, “What do you make of American’s having ruthlessly eliminated leisure from life?”

With that pinging around in my mind, this morning’s passage in Exodus resonated differently than in previous years:

For six days work may be done, but the seventh day shall be your holy day, a Sabbath of complete rest to the LORD. Whoever does any work on that day must be put to death. Exodus 35:2 (Berean Study Bible)

Moses has just returned from his second 40-day retreat with God carrying the second set of commands. When he addresses the masses who are now curiously and cautiously awaiting him, Moses communicates God’s priorities by first addressing God’s rhythm of life. He doesn’t start with what we know as the First Commandment to have no other gods than the one true God.

No, on the contrary Moses indicates how the Hebrew people are to live and function in a manner completely different from the rest of the surrounding culture as well as the land they have fled.

Moses teaches the Lord’s view of work and rest. I’m seeing for the first time how serious God is about our need for rest.

Here’s my take having had my mind primed by Dallas Willard’s advice. People probably would not have taken this command so seriously had not Moses taught that this Sabbath day was to be done FOR God, that is for the Lord’s sake. I’m guessing that had it been a command to lay off work for one day in seven for their own benefit, for their well-being, they would have ignored it after the first week of harvest season.

God, no doubt anticipating their reaction, adds a penalty that would have captured their attention. This God of the Hebrews threatens death if they do not comply.  And you know he is right.  When we work all the time, we suffer.

Multiple studies these days show that all work and no rest or play break down our bodies. We weaken mentally, emotionally, physically, relationally as well as spiritually.  Americans, it appears, are working themselves to death.

God’s commands are meant for our wellbeing. Afterall, he created us. He knows how he intended for us to function. He’s not a cosmic ‘meanie’ depriving us of pleasure.  He’s a good father who loves us and has set boundary lines for our own good. Responsible and loving parents do the same for their children.

I admit it’s far easier for me to have margin in my day since I am now retired. I wonder how this would have landed on me when I was 40, teaching school, coaching middle school boys’ baseball, running a part-time business and serving as a Bible Study Fellowship leader and parenting two boys.  And did I mention marriage as well?

My mom tried to advise me. She’d say, “Maria, take time to smell the flowers!” I’d retort, “Easy for YOU to say, Mom, you’re retired.”

But she was right. Rest and leisure are good gifts from our Lord. And we put ourselves in peril if we ignore God’s commands.