As we live for the mission of God, we must reject self-glory and reflect God’s glory. In Genesis 40–41, we find Joseph forgotten in prison. In chapter 41, he was finally remembered when Pharoah needed someone to interpret a dream. Verse 16 is incredibly important. Standing in front of this ruler, Joseph declared, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.”

This verse is radical because of what Joseph did not say. Most of us, having been in prison for two years, would take Pharoah’s compliment and agree to interpret the dream only if Pharoah agreed to release us. Joseph did not do this. He trusted that God would be the one to vindicate and free him.

Even more radical is what Joseph did say. Joseph told Pharoah that it was God’s power, not his own. He essentially rejected the compliment and pointed it towards God. His main concern was not his freedom but God’s fame.

In Acts 12:21–23, we see one of the greatest lessons of humility. God is obsessed with keeping His glory to Himself. He is worthy of it all. So, how do we reject self-glory? When someone gives you high praise, you are not meant to sit there constantly dwelling on how amazing you are. Instead, you should thank the person but let the compliment slide off and reflect the glory to the Lord, showing that He is actually the One worthy of all the praise there is. You can explain that you have talents, opportunities, and blessings only because God has given them to you. 1 Corinthians 4:7 says, “What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?”

In 1 Corinthians 1, Paul explains that God chooses the lowly, weak things in the world to accomplish His purposes. He does this so that no one may boast before God. In 2 Corinthians 4:7, we read, “But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.” Part of what makes Joseph’s story amazing is that he was a jar of clay. He was a simple man of lowly birth, and yet after all the mistreatment he endured, he didn’t respond the way our flesh naturally would respond when he was called into the presence of Pharoah. This shows that there was a power at work in his life.

You, too, are a jar of clay. You, like Joseph, are not here by accident. It is by design that God has placed you where you are, and He has a purpose for you. He can use you in wonderful ways because it’s not about the jar but about the treasure inside. And when people see that treasure, it changes their lives, families, communities, countries, and the world.