Proverbs 25:6-7 (NKJV, The Message)
Do not exalt yourself in the presence of the king,
And do not stand in the place of the great;
For it is better that he say to you,
“Come up here,”
Than that you should be put lower in the presence of the prince,
Whom your eyes have seen
* * *
Don’t work yourself into the spotlight;
don’t push your way into the place of prominence.
It’s better to be promoted to a place of honor
than face humiliation by being demoted.
When I read this passage today during my devotional time it hit me. Smack dab in the face. And hard. I think that is what scripture does sometimes. I can read the same passage at different times in my life and it affects me differently. Today, for whatever reason, this passage struck me as something that I needed to be paying attention to.
Perhaps it was because I had just had a conversation with my sister about someone else who was an extrovert who always seems to have the need to turn the conversation back to themselves. Perhaps it was because that conversation left me feeling like I had been just looking for something to criticize about that person. I really don’t know the reason why it made me stop and pause when I read it. But I suspect it might be because God wanted me to take a look at myself a bit closer instead of focusing on someone else.
It is easy to get sucked into the “look at me, look at me” syndrome these days. I am guilty of that more often than not. I take selfies and post them. I admit that it feels very nice when people give me praise and compliment me. Sometimes it is difficult to keep things in perspective in a world where self promotion is a thing.
“Don’t work yourself into the spotlight.”. Of course there are many different ways to interpret this passage but today these words were a bit of a reprimand. Be humble. Do things quietly. Don’t self promote to the point where you lose sight of who is God in your life. No, change that to don’t self promote to the point where I lose sight of who is God in MY life.
Stay humble. Stay grounded. Be true to who God has created you to be. The spotlight is a there but I don’t always need to be in it. Sometimes the shadows are the perfect place to be instead.
26 Comments
Leave a commentMuch wisdom in this.
Thanks, Carl. I am happy you found wisdom. 🙂 Have a great day.
I think with social media it’s easy to put yourself in the spotlight…and much of the time it’s harmless. But I get your point. Sometimes we are so busy posting our own goings on that we don’t notice when someone else could use some support.
Much of the time it is harmless—you are precisely right about that. But I can get sucked in and the compliments are so nice that sometimes I focus on that instead of the other things I should be focusing on. Thanks for stopping by today, Dawn! Means a lot!
Great post! It is hard to find balance – we are told to promote ourselves/our products, etc. Hard to argue with the Bible, though. 😉
It is a balance that is not always easy for me to find. I like all of the social media stuff, obviously, but then it can take over and put the emphasis on ME instead of HIM. Thanks for stopping by today.
Isn’t that just like God? He always reminds me exactly of the thing I need to examine about myself through scripture. This passage is a good one for all of us believers who put ourselves ‘out there’ in the ‘spotlight’ of social media whether its blogging, facebook, twitter…what ever. Thank you for reminding me of this today. God just gives us a strong reality check right when we need it…if we listen to Him and His Word.
Just what I think as well–just like God to slap me in the face when I need it. I thought it was just me that that happened to. Glad this made you think a bit today. Hope you have a fabulous day!
I agree that at different times in your life, Scripture takes on different meaning.
I’ve never thought of you as a “look at me” type of person. You are one of the most caring individuals I know.
This is another entry for your forthcoming devotional book.
It is one of those ones that hit me hard so that means I need to take notice. It is so easy for me to point fingers and ignore the fact that the scripture is speaking to ME.
We just need to do our best even though it may put us in the spotlight.
Doing our best is exactly what we all need to try to be doing. It is not always easy though.
It’s been awhile but I’ve been checking in on you from time to time! Great post – I couldn’t agree with you more. We have an awesome God and sometimes he has to somewhat hit us smack in the face to get our attention. All of us want recognition at times and yes, social media seems to dominate the scene these days. If we continue to put God first in our lives, the rest will all fall into place, including social media. At least that’s my take on it. You are doing great Beth Ann – enjoyed the post.
Thanks for stopping by! Glad you enjoyed the post. Sometimes the posts that take the least amount of time are the ones that are the best ones here. I hardly had to even think about this one because it just wrote itself because it was so much on my mind. Isn’t that just how it is sometime. Great to see you again.
It’s a love/hate thing sometimes when scripture does that eh?. 🙂
Yes! I really had to stop and take a bit of time to process why this verse hit me so hard.
I totally get that.
Great post, as always!
Thanks, Sara.
This is great advice. I hope I wasn’t the extrovert you were referring too (wait, did I just bring that back to me?) … Seriously though, this is one I need to remember too. I blame it on getting excited about things, but I need to be a better listener.
I am a great talker but I also have learned how important it is to listen and truly listen to others. That is one thing that I try hard to cultivate because there are so many people out there in our world who really need to just have someone listen to them. I am grateful that God gifted me with that talent.
This is a great passage for all of us to remember. Thanks for sharing your reflection.
It made me stop and think twice, that is for sure. Thanks for stopping by!
We all need to heed those teachable moments. Thanks for sharing.
Good thoughts.
Thanks, Priscilla!