Wednesday, August 1: Proverbs 25- Don't exalt self.

Again today one of the proverbs launched me to a word from Jesus.

Verses 6&7: Do not exalt yourself in the king's presence, and do not claim a place among his great men; it is better for him to say to you, "Come up here," than for him to humiliate you before his nobles

Compare this to Jesus: "When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, 'Give this person your seat.' Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, 'Friend, move up to a better place.' Then you will be honored in the presence of all the other guests. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted" (Luke 14:8-11).

So much of life is posturing, straining for the 'best seats in the house.' I don't think I am unusual saying, it feels good to be honored and it hurts to be humiliated.

Both Solomon and Jesus make the point don't exalt yourself. If other people exalt you and honor you, accept the honor graciously but when we try to bestow honor upon ourselves, it can often backfire. I have read biographies of Da Vinci, Ben Franklin, Albert Einstein and other greats. I don't recall any of these noted figures bragging about how smart or ingenious they were. Certainly their accomplishments gave them acclaim, but they didn't have a need to exalt themselves.

As I ponder this I sense a connection with the phrase 'actions speak louder than words.'  I don't need to 'toot my own horn' rather allow my life and my actions to speak for themselves. If they deserve honor, let others raise that point. And if the honor doesn't come, live in obscurity and continue to do good. After all, the Lord is watching and His appraisal is what ultimately counts.

Lord God, Solomon and Jesus both seem to be talking about humility… serving others rather than exalting self. Lord, this is an easier subject to write about than life. Please help me to live more and more in the manner of Jesus, my Lord and my Savior. Amen.

 

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