I am asked, "when you look at our situation what do you see is
wrong? You know what is wrong in our
situation, don’t you"? I do sense there
is something wrong, but what is it? I can’t put my finger on it, there are many
things, little things that are not right, but really could they make that much
difference. So I watch, I listen, from
the shadows. What could it be, why is it
that there is a sense that something is so wrong? Then as I listen from the shadows, I see it, hear it, loud and clear. There it is,
shameless self-promotion, that is what it was, all along. Of course! after all the holy text says if my
people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and
seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and
I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. It makes sense self-promotion is the opposite
of humility. It is wicked, and not the
way I hear some say that word today. When
they say it is “wicked” today it means good, but rather it is wicked meaning “evil”. Shameless self-promotion may be what one
thinks will take them to the top but the wisdom literature has some advice for those
that self-promote to get ahead - Let another praise you, and not your own mouth;
someone else, and not your own lips.
1 comment:
Someone recently sent me a comment anonymously in regard to this post. I have no idea who it was, as it was signed anonymously to an address that will not let me respond. Anyway you thought I was writing about you in this post, but let me respond. I have no idea who it was who responded to this blog and took offence, all I know is that it was a female and I gathered that from your email, and therefore clearly this was not written about you. If you knew my true heart and clearly you don't, you would have understood that. If you truly see where I am writing from in alot of my writing, teaching or speaking over the years, it was often about my own struggles. I don't even have an idea when this blog was written, at what period in my life, if it came from my old blog account transferred to this account or if this was an original one wrote on this account (so I am not sure if you were a peer in leadership, a student in a class or a member in an audience where I spoke) so let me explain. In the blog someone had asked me what was wrong with "our" situation, my response is shameless self promotion. "Our" problem was shameless self promotion, (myself included ). When I write and refer to "watching from the shadows", that is my way of saying I reflected alone, unbeknownst to anyone else, while reflecting on what was going on. I can think of times through my career where I have felt, as an organization "we" were more geared to promoting the organization then the kingdom of God and I know that is what I would have been referring to, and notice i said "we". I definitely was not writing about an individual as you thought, and again perhaps why I honestly cant think who this might be, who responded anonymously nor does it matter. This post for however long, was clearly taken wrong, by yourself and to whomever you talked to about it, thinking i was talking about yourself. I don't know what organization was considering me for future leadership but the fact that they had an issue with something I wrote that was misunderstood and never talked to me about it, makes me glad that I am not part of their future leadership plan. I am not saying I have not made mistakes I have made too many to count, said things that were hurtful or offensive but never intentfully have I sought to hurt anyone. I am truly sorry you were offended but honestly it was not written about an individual. Several times in my life, I know for a fact I have thought the organization I was part of (including myself) was missing the boat on whom we should have been promoting, and I can honestly say that I have felt that at times wherever I have served. I have felt we have shamelessly self promoted as a group or organization, rather than God promoted, which is why I refer to the passage I do in this particular blog. (So I am saying I am equally to blame for shameless self promotion and this blog was written as self discovery not as a finger pointing). Regardless I am sorry you were offended and in that I ask your forgiveness, but the one thing I do know is that this was not about an individual (you, whoever you are if that helps at all).
Post a Comment