Proverbs 25:6-7. 6Do not put yourself forward in the king’s presence or stand in the place of the great, 7for it is better to be told, “Come up here,” than to be put lower in the presence of a noble.
There’s nothing worse than a show-off, a know-it-all, a flatterer. That’s what’s being said in this proverb. Don’t put yourself forward. Don’t try to look better than everyone else. Instead be modest. Be humble. There’s no need to exalt yourself. No need to self-promote. No need to list your own accomplishments. No one likes that. What everyone does like is a leader who will serve and stay grounded, connected to their roots. Someone who looks out for others, promotes the welfare of the people around them, not their own.
The book of Esther sees these principles play out in dramatic fashion. The wicked Haman tried to put himself forward in the presence of King Artaxerxes. With his plot to destroy all the Jews in the city he thought he would be honored and promoted. Instead, he was made lower, much lower, as in dead. By contrast, Mordecai, the Jew, was selfless, humble, and courageous. He saved the king and his people (obviously with Esther’s help). In the end he was told come up here. Honored. Exalted. Promoted.
What about you? Do you promote yourself? Are you always looking for the leg up on others?
Jesus never put himself forward. Quite the opposite. He went lower and lower. As Paul says in Philippians, Jesus didn’t consider equality with God something to be grasped, but instead he lowered himself. He didn’t demand to stay in Heaven on his throne. He left his throne and humbled himself by coming to Earth to die for our sins on the cross. Then, and only then, could the Father say, Come up here! Jesus rose from the dead and ascended into Heaven to be seated on his throne again, but only because he had first lovingly sacrificed himself for us.
To be in Christ is to embrace this same mindset. This is why Jesus tells his disciples that those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. In God’s economy pride has no place. Self-promotion is sin.
Rather, the person in Christ is free to outdo others in GIVING honor, not taking honor. Why? Because one day Jesus will call all of us to come up here to Heaven. He will exalt us and seat us next to him, and share all of his glory and all of his status with us. That’s why we don’t need to ever exalt ourselves in this present life. We never have to be a show-off or a know-it-all. In Christ we can go lower and lower like he did, knowing that one day we will be raised up like him too.
You: Is there anywhere in your life that you are self-promoting?
You in Christ: How can knowing your exaltation in Christ allow you to stop self-promoting?
Christ in you: Where do you need to stop putting yourself forward and start trusting God to exalt you instead?
Pray: Father, you lower the proud and exalt the humble. Keep showing me how to be humble like your Son, Jesus. Amen.
To Live is Christ 