“It is not good to eat much honey; so to seek one’s own glory is not glory.” (Proverbs 25:27 NKJV)
My Mom had a saying – I can still hear her
voice as I think about it – “Too much of
anything is not good for you.” The writer of Proverbs likens the overeating
of honey to desiring glory and praise for yourself, both lead to ill effects.
When your heart desires glory from men, your
motivation depends on them and the possibility of receiving their praise
becomes your incentive. Your esteem rises with every compliment and falls with every
criticism, you overwork and tweak your words and actions in hopes of gaining
more praise; and it soon becomes an addiction of sorts. You need your fix –
just a few uttered words of commendation – or you sink into a puddle of
self-doubt, dejection, and perceived rejection. Eventually you need more and
more in order to function. When people are not forthcoming with their praise
for you, you may even begin asking for their opinions of what you’ve
accomplished in hopes of eking out an accolade to make your efforts feel
worthwhile.
God wants you to understand that the glory you seek
to receive from man is not glory at all – the pursuit of it is “grasping at the
wind” – its effect (that nice feeling you
get when hearing kind words) doesn’t last, it’s not fulfilling, it is vain,
empty, and fleeting.
Having a heart that desires to do good for
God’s sake and His alone, that He may receive the glory for the blessings He
bestowed, results in a very different sense of well-being. You can lay your
weary head on your pillow at night with a clear conscience – “We have done what was our duty to do” (Luke 17:10) – knowing you did your best
to be a good steward of the blessings God granted you (2 Corinthians 9:7-12, Proverbs 19:17, Hebrews 13:16), and your
heart will be overflowing with praise and thanksgiving to God for your health
and abilities (Colossians 3:17), and
for His instruction in how to use them in His service (ex: Titus 2:3-5).
“And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.” (Colossians 3:23-24 NKJV)
What God offers by way of glory is lasting. Knowing that we are giving
our best efforts to accomplish what He has asked of us gives us a quiet
confidence to keep going; our motivation comes from the thought of one day
hearing “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25: 14-30), understanding that our time here, following
God’s commands, is preparing us for worshiping Him in eternity. Gaining
assurance that we are doing what is right in His sight comes from studying His
word, the Bible, and our desire to be pleasing to Him will lead us to toward
growth in knowledge (1 Peter 3:18)
and application (James 1:21-25), and
a greater desire to serve, just as Jesus humbly served (Mark 10:45).
Don’t seek after your own glory; it comes to
no good end. Instead seek for the joy-filled assurance that you are pleasing to
God, look toward the eternal reward that God offers to all who faithfully serve
Him and do what He has commanded!
You can do it! So can I!!
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