Tag: anointing

It Wasn’t Me, It Was All God

This is a bonus post in the Twisted Scriptures series, where we look at familiar Bible verses and Christian phrases in their proper context. The original sixteen-part series began May 3, 2026.

I have caught myself saying, “It wasn’t me. It was all God.”

Usually, I meant it sincerely. I wanted to give God the glory and make sure no one thought I was taking credit for something He helped me do. I have heard other people say the same thing after singing well, preaching a message, writing something meaningful, finishing a difficult project, or using a gift God placed in their lives.

I understand what we mean when we say it.

We know the gift came from God. We know the opportunity came from God. We know we could not do anything of lasting value without His grace. We do not want appreciation to become pride, so we quickly push the compliment away and say, “It was not me.”

But is that the best way to describe what happened?

First Corinthians 15:10 gives us a better balance. Paul wrote, “By the grace of God I am what I am.” He gave God full credit for the calling, transformation, and grace upon his life. However, in the same verse, he also said, “I labored more abundantly than they all.”

Paul did not deny his effort.

He did not say he had done nothing. He worked, traveled, preached, suffered, studied, prayed, and remained faithful through tremendous hardship. Then he added, “Yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.”

The Greek word translated “grace” is charis, pronounced KHAH-rees, and written χάρις. It can mean grace, favor, gift, or gracious enablement. In Paul’s life, grace did not replace effort. Grace empowered it.

That distinction matters.

God called Paul, but Paul still had to answer. God gave him grace, but Paul still had to labor. God opened doors, but Paul still had to walk through them. His work did not compete with the glory of God. His faithful work demonstrated what the grace of God could accomplish through a surrendered person.

The same is true for us.

If you sing well, God gave you the voice, but you may also have spent years learning how to use it. If you speak well, God may have anointed you, but you still studied, prayed, prepared, and learned from your mistakes. If you completed something difficult, God gave strength and opportunity, but you still showed up and did the work.

Acknowledging that is not pride.

Pride says, “I did this by myself, and I am better than everyone else.”

False humility says, “I had nothing to do with this at all.”

Biblical humility says, “God gave me grace, and I faithfully used what He gave me.”

False humility does not necessarily mean someone is lying or being insincere. Most of the time, the person truly wants to honor God. The problem is that denying every part of our contribution can give an incomplete picture of how God works.

God often chooses to work through human obedience, discipline, preparation, personality, creativity, and effort.

When someone offers a sincere compliment, we do not have to lower our head, reject it, or act as though nothing meaningful happened. We can simply say, “Thank you. I am grateful God helped me,” or, “Thank you. I worked hard on that, and I am thankful the Lord used it.”

Gratitude is not arrogance.

There is a difference between being boastful and being excited that something went well. It is okay to be thankful that you preached clearly, sang well, finished the project, helped someone, or handled a difficult moment with wisdom. We can celebrate growth without believing we created the gift ourselves.

Jesus told a parable about servants who were entrusted with talents. The faithful servants did not bury what they received in an attempt to appear humble. They used it, developed it, and produced something with it. Their faithfulness was recognized by the master.

God is glorified when His gifts are used well.

Second Corinthians 3:5 says that our sufficiency is from God. That does not mean we are useless or uninvolved. It means the source of our ability and effectiveness is not independent of Him.

Galatians 2:20 says, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.” Paul was not saying that his personality, choices, and responsibility had disappeared. He was describing a life surrendered to Christ and directed by faith.

Giving God glory does not require us to pretend we had no role in what happened.

A healthy view recognizes both grace and responsibility. God calls, anoints, equips, opens doors, and gives strength. We practice, prepare, obey, persevere, and use what He placed in our hands.

It is not all us.

But it is also not God working instead of us.

It is God working in us and through us as we respond faithfully to His grace.

Bible Promise

Philippians 2:13

“For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.”

God is at work within you, giving both the desire and the ability to carry out what He has called you to do.

Reflection Questions

  1. Have you ever rejected a sincere compliment because you thought accepting it would take glory away from God?
  2. What gift, ability, or opportunity has God given you that you need to develop and use with greater gratitude and confidence?

Prayer

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for every gift, ability, opportunity, and measure of grace You have placed in my life. Keep me from pride and from believing I can accomplish anything of lasting value apart from You. At the same time, protect me from false humility that denies the work, growth, and obedience You have produced in me. Help me receive encouragement with gratitude, use my gifts faithfully, and give You glory without pretending that my choices and effort do not matter. Teach me to work hard, remain humble, and celebrate what Your grace accomplishes through a surrendered life.

I give You all honor, all the glory, and all of the praise. It’s in Jesus’ name I pray. Amen & Amen.

Touch Not My Anointed

This post is part of the Twisted Scriptures series, where we look at familiar Bible verses in their original context and consider what they truly mean. Series started May 3, 2026.

“Do not touch My anointed ones, and do My prophets no harm.”

Those words from Psalm 105:15 are sometimes used to suggest that pastors, prophets, or other spiritual leaders should never be questioned, corrected, or held accountable. When concerns are raised about a leader’s conduct or teaching, someone may respond, “Touch not God’s anointed.”

That sounds biblical because the words come directly from Scripture. The problem is not the verse. The problem is using it for something the passage was not addressing.

Psalm 105 looks back on God’s faithfulness to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and the people of Israel. It describes a time when God’s people were few, vulnerable, and traveling among powerful nations. God protected them and warned kings not to harm those He had chosen for His covenant purpose.

The Hebrew word translated “anointed” is mashiach, pronounced mah-SHEE-akh, and written מָשִׁיחַ. It means anointed one, or someone set apart for a particular purpose. The word can refer to kings, priests, or others whom God appointed, and it is also the word from which we get “Messiah.”

In Psalm 105, the phrase “My anointed ones” was not being used as a special shield for religious leaders who wanted to avoid questions. It was describing God’s protection over the patriarchs and His covenant people while they were strangers in foreign lands.

A similar phrase appears in the life of David. David refused to kill King Saul because Saul was the Lord’s anointed. David would not take Saul’s life or seize the throne through violence, even though Saul had treated him unjustly.

However, David’s respect for Saul’s position did not mean he pretended Saul was doing right. David spoke honestly about what Saul had done. He defended his innocence and confronted the situation without attacking Saul or taking revenge.

That distinction matters.

We should not mistreat, slander, or attack spiritual leaders. Scripture teaches believers to honor faithful leaders, pray for them, and recognize the weight of their responsibility. Pastors are human beings carrying real burdens, and careless accusations can damage a leader, a church, and the people connected to both.

Scripture also treats false accusations against spiritual leaders seriously. First Timothy 5:19 says that an accusation against an elder should not be accepted without two or three witnesses. That is not protection from accountability. It is protection from rumor, slander, and careless claims. The greater the responsibility of leadership, the more carefully both the leader and the accusation must be handled.

But honor does not mean silence when something is wrong.

No pastor, teacher, prophet, or ministry leader is above Scripture. A title does not remove accountability, and an anointing does not make someone incapable of error. In fact, greater influence brings greater responsibility.

The Bereans were called noble because they examined the Scriptures daily to see whether Paul’s teaching was true. Paul did not accuse them of touching God’s anointed. Their willingness to test his words by Scripture was treated as wisdom.

There is a difference between attacking a leader and examining what a leader says or does. Gossip, personal insults, false accusations, and attempts to destroy someone are wrong. Honest questions, biblical discernment, and proper accountability are not.

A healthy spiritual leader should not demand unquestioning loyalty. A faithful leader points people toward Christ, welcomes biblical examination, and understands that authority in the church is stewardship, not ownership.

The words “Touch not My anointed” should never be twisted into a threat used to silence people. They remind us that God protects those He appoints and that we should never take revenge into our own hands. They do not give anyone permission to operate without correction.

We can honor leadership without worshiping leaders. We can reject slander while still expecting truth. We can respect a person’s calling while judging their fruit and testing their teaching by the Word of God.

Bible Promise

Psalm 105:15

“Do not touch My anointed ones, and do My prophets no harm.”

God watches over those He has called, and He does not require us to take revenge into our own hands.

Reflection Questions

  1. Have you ever seen “Touch not My anointed” used to discourage honest questions or biblical accountability?
  2. Are you careful to avoid both blind loyalty and careless accusations when concerns arise about a spiritual leader?

Prayer

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for the leaders You place in the church and for the people You call to serve Your purposes. Help me honor them without placing them above Your Word. Keep me from gossip, slander, revenge, and careless accusations. At the same time, give me courage and wisdom to recognize when teaching or conduct does not agree with Scripture. Help spiritual leaders walk in humility, welcome accountability, and remember that all authority belongs to Jesus. Teach me to speak truth with love and to handle every concern in a way that honors You.

I give You all honor, all the glory, and all of the praise. It’s in Jesus’ name I pray. Amen & Amen.