Some of us are very familiar with the story of Olajumoke who was the bread seller that photobombed a picture taken by TY Bello. This of course led to her rise to stardom with different agencies signing her up.  Here is a link to the story. The story was humbling; kinda like being at the right place at the right time.  However that’s not the angle I’m using to write this post. I didn’t even realize that the photo shoot was for Tinie Tempah *covers face* Come on! Don’t blame me. I bet some of you don’t remember what he was wearing in that shoot! Oh, don’t look at the picture! That’s cheating. LOL. However, I recall the lady’s red dress! Aha! Look at it in the picture 🙂

Have you ever taken a great picture before and suddenly notice your friend was at the back making funny faces? Now whenever anyone sees the picture, they burst out in laughter because of the funny face your friend was making. They barely look twice at you, the real object of focus. 

God does wonderful things in our lives whether we admit it or not. Remember that test you didn’t really read well for and still passed? Or remember that accident you were sure was gonna happen but at the last minute you swerved like Hamilton and got home without a scratch or a dent? Remember the blog post that attracted the highest number of hits on your blog? Remember that job you got even after missing the interview the first time?

Now how do you paint the picture? When sharing the story to friends how do you tell it? I got an A on that test o! Ha! That professor has nothing on me. I didn’t even read much; I just wrote and filled extra sheets! Or check out how I just swerved from the incoming tanker. As in! My driving skills are top notch! Hamilton has got nothing on me! Or ‘OMG! I got the best stats on that post. You needed to see how I drafted the post. I took time to edit it and it got the highest likes! I’m like an awesome blogger right now!’ Then probably at the end, we insert a little ‘thank God’ to justify these self-absorbed statements.

It’s easy to get so carried away with the great acts of God through our lives that we begin to think we are the ones who do the acts. We begin to share the glory with him. We get responses from the listeners that pampers our ego. Believe me, blogging is the true test of this for me. You get some awesome hits and stat report and you begin to think it’s your keen editing skills that are getting the stats up. You take in all the praise for your work and later remember to give a pity ‘thank God’ for the rave reviews.

I call that photobombing God! And even though it sounds funny and ‘urban’, it’s a serious issue! God doesn’t want to share any glory with man. For that purpose alone, He would use unlikely things to get work done.

But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong;  God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being[d] might boast in the presence of God. -1 Corinthians 1:27-29

For me, I’ve had posts I wasn’t so proud of (as in I didn’t feel like I wrote what people would like) but then those are the posts that get the rave reviews. Knowing I had no part in it humbles me and makes me give the glory to God.

Truth is, there are people who read all night, use extra sheets and fail and others who pass. There are some who read just before the test and pass the test and others who fail. It’s not about you. Whatever happens, give all the glory to God. He is the main focus of thanksgiving.

For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. –Romans 9:15-16

When sharing your testimony, let people see what He has done not what your skills and abilities have gotten you. If he strips you off everything He has given, you would be nothing. I’ve seen stories about people who attempted to share the glory with God and how He bashed them to the ground. Take a look at the rich fool who had so much wealth (Luke 12:13-21). The dude accorded the glory to himself and his financial skills probably and hey! Before the morning came, the owner of his soul requested it.  That’s really tragic, yet some of us are still going down that slope. Please turn around before it’s too late. Don’t photobomb God! Give Him all the glory due to His name.

Have an exciting week ahead!

©Mfon Etuk, 2016