The praise of men can be intoxicating. When it is not held in check by a healthy dose of reality regarding our own limitations and faults, it can lead to our destruction. A good example of this is King Herod in Acts 12. A rift had arisen between the king and the people of Tyre and Sidon, prompting them to send a delegation to Caesarea to make an effort to win back the king’s favor (v. 20). Part of their strategy included heaping praises upon him for his oratory skills (v. 22). Herod made the mistake of accepting the praise for himself rather than giving God the glory and he paid a steep price for his prideful arrogance (v. 23).
It is much better to remain humble and maintain a proper sense of priorities when we are blessed with the praise of others. In his book “Expository Reflections on the Gospel of John,” Leon Morris shares a story from the life of Marian Anderson, one of the most celebrated singers of the twentieth century. He writes: “I have read that the singer Marian Anderson was once told by Toscanini that she had the voice of the century. On one occasion she gave a concert at the White House for the King and Queen of England and the Roosevelts. On one Easter Day she sang beneath the Lincoln statue in Washington to a crowd of more than 75,000, including many of this world’s great ones. So, when a reporter asked her what was the greatest moment of her life, she had plenty to choose from. But her answer was, ‘The day I went home and told my mother that she needn’t take in washing anymore.’ For all her greatness, Marian Anderson had her sense of values right” (pg. 160).
The wise counsel of the apostle Paul is still appropriate today: “For through the grace given to me I say to every man among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think…” (Romans 12:3).
God loves you!
Mike
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