Allow God to Exalt You

 

 

 

Dr. William Snow, in his book, With God’s Help…Yes, I Can, writes:

 

“Contentment is the opposite of envy, avarice, and anxiety. Contentment comes from humility. Materialism seems to be America’s god. Contentment is not a virtue of our day. As a matter of fact, what we see in most people, even Christians, is an attitude of discontent.”

 

The human need to promote oneself rises from discontent in life. When you are discontented, you are envious and jealous of others’ successes. You haven’t got enough. Pushing your hunger for more to the point where you sacrifice your relationships, health, and sometimes even your conscience, you are never satisfied. When you are discontented, you haven’t been recognized enough. You feel unappreciated. You are anxious and frustrated when those who can approve or deny your success deny you an opportunity. When you are discontented, you constantly need to prove yourself. When we, as Christians, are dissatisfied, we aren’t living in the peace of our relationship with Jesus. We are actually saying that He isn't enough to satisfy us.

 

Contentment comes from humility. Most people won’t humble themselves and trust God to exalt them in His timing (1 Peter 5:6). They won’t rest in Jesus’s finished work and allow Him to approve them. They will push to win their approval. 

 

Discontent breeds pride, and pride always promotes self. Promoting yourself fast-tracks you to destruction and humiliation. 

 

“Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18).

 

In the first century, Paul established Timothy as pastor of the vast and thriving church at Ephesus (1 Timothy 1:3). After appointing Timothy to care for all these people, Paul told him not to let anyone despise him because he was young.  

 

“Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity” (1 Timothy 4:12).

 

You cannot force people to respect you. Respect is earned. Paul instructed Timothy to earn the respect of the church. Paul also didn’t advise the church to respect Timothy. Paul had founded that church. He could have used his authority to make Timothy’s assignment at Ephesus easier, but he didn’t. Paul also didn’t encourage Timothy to use his position as pastor to require respect. He told Timothy to earn respect by His character.

 

Some people don’t understand that you earn respect by your character. They promote themselves to protect their interests and then force people to recognize their importance.

 

But Jesus said: “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it” (Matthew 16:24-25).

 

Denying yourself goes against many people. They don’t want to take up their cross and die as Jesus died for them. They don’t want to put God or others ahead of their needs.

 

When you serve others and do the right thing, even when no one is watching, you serve Christ. When you work to gain recognition and prestige for yourself or when you seek gain at the expense of others, you don’t please the Lord. Your service—how you conduct your life— isn’t about what you require or what men require of you. You are “a bondservant of Christ doing the will of God from the heart” (Ephesians 6:6). You don’t serve yourself or man. You serve Christ.

Paul said in Ephesians 6:8, ^“Knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free.”  

We don’t work for the praise and acceptance of people. We work to honor the Lord and bless others (Ephesians 4:28). Whatever your status in life, whether you are rich or poor, Jesus has called you to lay yourself down, pick up your cross, and serve others as He served you. We don’t serve to receive praise from men. We serve for the recognition and reward of the Lord. The kingdom of God operates in humility. 

James wrote, “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up” (James 4:10).

Peter wrote, “Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time” 1 Peter 5:5b-6).

Jesus said, “But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted” (Matthew 23:11-12).

 

If you want God to recognize you, allow Him to promote you. If you wish for God to use you, you must learn to humble yourself.

 

Contentment comes from humility. You have no contentment when you are always trying to prove or promote how good you are. Pride will only lead to your humiliation. You can appear godly to others but are deprived of its truth within you. If you desire God’s promotion and His recognition, godliness from within your heart produces contentment that is “great gain.” (1 Timothy 6:5-7).

 

Contentment comes from having peace in our relationship with the Lord. The peace of contentment that fosters humility comes from our identity in Jesus Christ.

 

Dr. Snow writes about Paul knowing his identity: 

 

“Paul knew God was in him. He made God the center of his life! So whatever we must go through, it must be about Him as long as Christ is seen or glorified in us.”

 

When you humble yourself before God, He is the center—the focus—your life’s purpose. God is in you. And you are in Him. Jesus is enough to satisfy you. Humble yourself under God’s hand. Surrender to Him. Allow Him to approve who you are. And He will exalt you.

 

 

www.lynnlacher.com/2024/07/allow-god-to-exalt-you.html