Do you like people who brag on themselves? Is it enjoyable to be around people who constantly talk about themselves? Would you rather have your ears cut off than listen to them? Are you someone who boasts about yourself?
In general, we don’t really care to listen to braggarts. You have heard them. It doesn’t matter what anyone else has done, they have always done it better, faster, and in a more impressive fashion. To hear them tell it, they should be in a far greater place, but the world has purposely connived against them.
On the other hand, we like to talk about ourselves. We like to tell others about our experiences. We may talk about what happened at work, telling of how we accomplished some difficult task. Sometimes, we tell and retell stories of great plays we made while playing sports. We tell of adventures while we were in the military or on vacation or on a mission trip. We may think we don’t like to talk about ourselves until we stop, think about our conversations over the past few days or weeks, and realize we talk about ourselves quite a lot.
Now, there is nothing wrong with relating our experiences. The question comes down to why we are telling others about them. Is it to make ourselves look good? Or is it to relate an experience that we and/or others can learn from? Why is our motive important?
We see in today’s passage that Jesus did not come to glorify himself, but the Father was the one who glorified Him. What does that mean? It means the Father, working through the Son, was orchestrating events in such a way as to glorify Him. The Son was allowing the Father to control Him and the events around Him. The Son was doing what the Father had designated Him to do.
If we are to follow Jesus’ example, we must do the same. We must discern what it is God wants us to do and do it. We must allow the Father to orchestrate the events for us. This is called submission. Submitting to God, trusting Him, and following His plan for our lives will lead to glory. Oh, it may not lead us to glory in the way we think, but it will lead to eternal glory with Him.
I pray we all submit to God’s plan. I pray we allow God to orchestrate our lives. I pray each one of us trusts God and discern His plan for us. Don’t be a braggart. Submit to God. Trust God. Allow God to work in your life. Discern God’s plan for your life. Follow Jesus’ example.
John 8:54 Jesus replied, “If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me.”
