You accept praise from one another. But you make no effort to receive the praise that comes from the only God. So how can you believe?
John 5:44
Public Relations....it is a funny thing.
The whole idea is to shine someone up to look like a better version of themselves. To accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative.
If we aren't careful we can begin to believe the PR about ourselves. When people tell you that you are wonderful and amazing and "no one could ever be as good as you are", it is flattering and can build you up. But, we need to be careful to remember who made is wonderful and amazing and better than anyone.
The gifts and graces we display are reflections of those gifts God placed in our lives. Yes, they all require our participation. You aren't going to hit a home run by simply standing at the plate and willing the ball over the outfield fence. You need to practice and hone the natural talent God gave you, but the talents - the gifts - those started with God.
Humility is at the core of who we are as Christians. Recognizing that God works through us and strengthens us to do the work He calls us to do.
As Jesus first confronted the Pharisees, the most learned and highest ranking of the Jews, he was calling the out on the fact that they were boasting in their own skills and talents, disregarding that their true gifts came from God.
The Pharisees - who had studied every inch of scripture - were so caught up in being Pharisees that the couldn't see that the ONE they had been learning about their whole lives was now standing directly in front of them. The Messiah had come and instead of embracing him and praising God for answered prayers, they discounted him and spun a negative campaign against him. Instead of believing in him they tried to thwart God at every turn.
The Pharisees had begun listening to their own PR. They believed that they were better than other Jews. They believed that they were smarter than everyone else. They believed that they were infalliable. They believed all of this and confirmed it with each other. Jesus confronts the Pharisees with their falacies, but instead of being humble and being accountable to their failings they chose to embrace the PR and turn an attack on Jesus.
All too often when someone challenges our state of thinking - when someone holds us accountable for how we are falling short of the grace and love Jesus offers - we go on the offensive. We look for ways to discount the person who is trying to be a voice of reason in our lives. Instead of looking within to see if they are right, we chose to look outward and try and find the hole in the arguement.
Jesus was trying to help the Pharisees - but all they could see was a threat to the beautifully orchastrated Public Relations machine they had created. They had to destroy the threat.
They chose their public image over the Messiah.
Long term - not the best PR move.
As you are challenged in your thinking and in your life - even as you are praised for being the wonderful you - you are - check everything with God and His will for your life.
PR is a great tool - as long as you understand the truth and remain humble in the midst of all of the praise - because when we start to believe the praise more than we embrace the humility we find we are on the slippery slope of the Pharisees. And no one wants to have bad PR with God.
Scripture
Quote of the Day
“Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some hire public relations officers.”
Daniel J. Boorstin, American Educator
Question of the Day
What is the difference between being great in the world's eyes and being great in the eyes of God?
