The Promoter

Reading for Today: Proverb Chapter 30

Gold Nugget

Verse 32: If you have been foolish in exalting yourself, Or if you have devised evil, put your hand on your mouth. 

Commentary

Years ago people used to be entertained by the great boxer, Mohammad Ali. His skill in the ring was unmatched for several years. He was fast, strong and tough, but you didn’t need me to tell you that did you? Ali never needed a promoter. He promoted himself. At every camera and in every microphone, the champ would declare his greatness. “Fly like a butterfly, sting like a bee”, he would say. “I’m so pretty”, he would shout. “It's hard to be humble when you're as great as I am”. The list of his boasting and self promotion is too long to include here. Ali was an entertainer and even in his day, entertainer or not, many people could not tolerate his bragging. Most folks just chalked it up to being a showman and dismissed it as part of his act. One thing that should be noted is the reason he got so much attention was because no one else was doing this. People either loved him or loved to hate him, but the cameras were obsessed with him. Today, sports and entertainment celebrities are infested with this self promotion. It no longer needs to be masked by showmanship or entertainment; people just love to declare how great they are. I enjoy sports, but can hardly stand to hear this self promoting phenomenon. Just as tolerance of this horrible trait has grown over the years, it didn’t stop at celebrities. The self promotion and fixation with themselves expressed by our youth is repulsive. Whether it’s “Facebook”, “Instagram” or whatever social networking application is being used, people have taken it from what can be healthy networking on to self glorifying and self exaltation.

Nowadays, there isn’t any shame in standing in front of a mirror with a cell phone posing like they are on the cover of a magazine, dressing provocatively and outright claiming in writing their greatness. Modesty has been thrown out the window. Just to share the blame, it should be noted that even adults are being caught up in this self love and self glorifying. Maybe it has always been there and it just wasn’t accepted. Probably so, but I will take closet conceit over this shameless manifestation of “me over thee” behavior. What happened to humility? Just in case you are wondering, it is still expected of Christians. What of putting others above and before yourself? It may not be popular, but it’s still scriptural. Maybe this applies to you and maybe it doesn’t. Maybe it applies to our kids. Shouldn’t that be enough to corral them before it get’s any further. Whether it’s us or our kids, we aren’t supposed to be going with the flow of this world. Maybe you should take a stand today. What do you say?

Disclaimer: Social media is not necessarily evil. The purpose in this devotion is to illustrate the way they are too often used for self exalting. If this is not the way it is being used by you, it still may be necessary for you to to steer someone else in the right direction.

Prayer

Lord, despite how accepted it has become in our world, I want to represent the character that you have developed in me. I don’t need to exalt myself, but rather need to humble myself. Thank you for reminding me of this truth. Amen

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