The Bible according to many within the Western church has become "Blessed are the braggarts and the noisy for they shall inherit the most attention and publicity in the earth...blessed are the most popular for they shall be seen, praised, and exalted by men!
But the Bible according to the Lord Jesus Christ teaches us something considerably different ... "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.... Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.—Matthew 5:5-8"
We have but to become acquainted with, or even listen to, the big names of our times to discover how wretchedly inferior most of them are. Many appear to have arrived at their present eminence by pull, brass, nerve, gall, self-determination, and lucky accident. We turn away from them sick to our stomach and wonder for a discouraged moment if this is the best the human race can produce.
But we gain our self-possession again by the simple expedient of recalling some of the plain men we know, who live unheralded and unsung, and who are made of stuff infinitely finer than the hoarse-voiced braggarts who occupy too many of the highest positions or offices in the land. . . the church also suffers from this evil notion.
Christians have fallen into the habit of accepting the noisiest and most notorious among them as the best and the greatest. They too have learned to equate popularity with excellence, and in open defiance of the Sermon on the Mount they have given their approval not to the meek but to the self-assertive; not to the mourner but to the self-assured; not to the pure in heart who see God but to the publicity hunter who seeks headlines.
May we not continue to be conformed to the pattern of this world any longer, but let us instead be transformed by the renewing of our minds as we look to Jesus, our example, who said if any man would come after me he must first deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. There is a cross before there is a crown. There must be humility and self-abasement before exaltation ...for both the Savior and his followers. May it be so in my life today!
"Lord, I thank You this morning for all the unknown but faithful pastors, leaders, and members serving churches in quiet places. We do place a lot of and too much emphasis on the 'personalities' and big-church leaders. Forgive us for following the pattern of the world. Bring us back to the cross of Christ and heal the church from this dreadful disease of self-promotion and exaltation. Thank You for the 'quiet heroes' and their faithful service; give them great encouragement today. Amen."
-adapted from A.W. Tozer
