We Are God’s Vessel
As Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in reverence. But Peter made him get up. “Stand up,” he said, “I am only a man myself.”
Acts 10: 25-26, NIV
Cornelius treated Peter with so much honor to the point that he fell at his feet in reverence. This is his expression of honoring Peter as a man of God. And Peter responded by asking Cornelius to get up. He reminded Cornelius that just like him, he was only a man. It seems like Peter humbly pointed out to him who he is. He knew that he was just a vessel of God. And the One who is worthy to receive the honor and glory is Jesus and not him.
In a way, both Peter and Cornelius honored each other. Peter walked for long hours just to visit a Gentile in Caesarea, while Cornelius humbly treated him with respect. They both show kindness to each other which is one of the fruit of the Holy Spirit. But then, his way of doing it is something that Peter needed to correct.
This passage simply points us back to Jesus. As much as Cornelius wanted to honor the man of God, Peter reminded him that he was just a human. This is a beautiful lesson for us to remember. We are reminded not to treat other people as God. Yes, we honor and respect others, but falling on our knees and giving them the reverence that God only deserves is something that we need to avoid.
As servants of God, we are also reminded to treat ourselves as God’s vessels. We need to acknowledge His sovereignty in our lives and point other people back to God and not to ourselves. Let’s be careful not to receive the glory and honor that God alone deserves. Treating ourselves as His instrument will help us lead others to Jesus. It will somehow kill our selfish desires. It will help us remember the purpose that God planted in our hearts.
“I am only man myself.” May these words of Peter become a reminder for us especially when we start to serve others. That we may not fall in the trap of pleasing ourselves rather than pleasing God. That we may learn to help others and choose to lift them up, and stop focusing on our selfish desires. We are just humans desiring to know and experience more of God.
Prayer: Father God, thank you so much for giving us the chance to serve you and the people around us. We thank you for your grace and guidance. As we continue to honor your Name, we pray that you will always remind us not to worship the things that you created. Help us, Lord, that we may always give you the glory and reverence that you deserve. This we ask, In. Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
