Who Are We Exalting?

A friend and I were talking the other day, and she asked me about why I don't display or let others know about various accomplishments and/or awards I've received for things I've done or achieved in service to the Lord. My answer was simple. "It's not about me."

If you ask any of my ladies in Sunday School, they'll give witness to the fact that this is my favorite "life truth", because I'm constantly reminding them all the time... "It's not about me!"

I suppose that's why it bothers me, as I sit back and watch and/or listen to folks who lift themselves up, for anything they may do in Christ's Name. It appears they thrive on the recognition they receive, and somehow they even entice others to join in and do the same. I can't go along with that, because the Bible tells us clearly that we're not to exalt ourselves.

Psalm 66:7

"...let not the rebellious exalt themselves."

Psalm 140:8

"Grant not, O LORD, the desires of the wicked: further not his wicked device; lest they exalt themselves."

Obadiah 1:3,4

The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground? Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith the LORD.

Mathew 23:12
And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.

1 Peter 5:5,6
Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:

These are just a few of the many passages of Scripture which show us that we're not the One who should be high and lifted up. No matter what we say or do in life, no matter how great our achievements may be, we need to remember that God didn't put us here to praise ourselves, nor to be praised by others either, for that matter. He created us all to magnify HIM.

I've been guilty of losing focus of that, at various times throughout my life. It took me a long time to realize how easy it is to be caught up in the trap of turning it around and making it, or letting it be about me. Granted, it doesn't start out so bad. It could very well begin with something as simple as someone's appreciation for all the time and energy I'd put into something that meant a lot to them. And there's nothing wrong with that in itself. But, as with anything else in life, it's what we do with it, or rather, how we respond to it, that counts. We can't have a prideful attitude. Just as constructive criticm can lead to destruction, if misinterpreted; the same is true of praise. Sometimes we can get a bad case of "the big head", which then also leads to destruction.

The Bible says in Proverbs 16:18:

"Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall."

As I explained to my friend the other day, I would much rather be overlooked, even forgotten, here in this life, and be rewarded in Heaven, than to make much of myself here, and be overlooked in Heaven.

There have been times when it bothered me to be excluded from recognition, especially when I put alot into something. But as I said, I've learned that isn't what I'm here for. So now, thankfully, I can honestly say I don't even want recognition, anymore. Instead, I think about my heavenly rewards, which are far greater!

Once again, I'm reminded of our country. I think about how we've seemingly lost all sight of morality. Corporately, we've stopped pledging allegiance to or praying to the One true God. We've embraced many of the abominations He forbade us to defile ourselves with. We've traded our spiritual strength for "living for the moment", which has weakened us. We've become so full of pride, I do believe if it were possible to "stick a pin in us", we'd fly right into orbit.

We can't continue on like this. Yes, God is love, but He is also just. He's not gonna allow much more of our disobedience. I pray we (as a nation) figure that out, before it's too late.

It's important for us to understand that it's Jesus' Name, Whom we should be lifting up, not our own. It's all about our humbling ourselves before Him, proving that we know Who's God, and that we're worshiping Him. For me, personally, I can't say it enough... "It's not about me."

I pray we all stop in our tracks each and every day and examine our hearts, asking ourselves this question, "Who am I exalting today?"

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