Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Proverbs 25:27 Glory be!

 27
         It is not good to eat too much honey, nor is it honorable to seek one's own honor.


When I looked at the King James translation of this verse, I noticed that the second part read this way: "for men to search for their own glory is not glory."
It's human nature to seek the glory. And it's in our nature to give glory. Sometimes, tho, it's easy to get wrapped up in the glory of things that don't matter in the long run . . .

This time of year, a huge percentage of our population gets caught up in sports fever. Names become famous overnight --- who threw the longest completed pass, who made the longest touchdown run, who made that fantastic tackle that stopped the runner and saved the game, etc., etc.
It's ironic that the same things can happen in the lives of Christians --- who has the largest church, who has to hold several services on Sunday to fit everyone in, who has the largest program of giving and missions, etc., etc.

Sound familiar?
All of these things are good things to strive for, and wonderful to accomplish, but to whom are we giving the glory? That is what we must be careful of.
Giving God the credit for what He has helped us to accomplish is the best way to avoid the traps of self-glorification and pride. Listen to what Paul said in I Corinthians chapter one: "Therefore, as it is written: "Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord."  Sounds like Paul is quoting from an Old Testament scripture, doesn't it? Let's check out Jeremiah 9:23-24:
23 This is what the Lord says:
“Let not the wise boast of their wisdom
    or the strong boast of their strength
    or the rich boast of their riches,
24 but let the one who boasts boast about this:
    that they have the understanding to know me,
that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness,
    justice and righteousness on earth,
    for in these I delight,”
declares the Lord.
If we seek God's glory, and praise His name in all things, then we are putting the credit and the glory right where it belongs!

2 comments:

  1. I think that even when we are boasting about what God is doing, sometimes we are still seeking our own glory. Almost prideful in what "God" is doing in "our" lives and "our" church. We have to remember to be pure of heart when we do boast, truly giving the glory to God.
    Note to self....

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  2. Yes this hits home as I am so wrapped up in getting votes for something that is nothing to do with the furthering of the Lord’s kingdom (BTW thanks for your support x :) Also it is very difficult not to take glory to oneself, even in little things as we all want to be liked and appreciated and to be known as being successful. It’s a tough one ! Thanks for that. I’m now thinking again about my priorities x

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