In this article I want
to deal with an issue which has crept so much into the Christian world that
sometimes we get frustrated with it. I want to call it as self-promotion.
Sometimes it is done under the cover of preaching gospel and other times it is
done to bring glory to God. What a contradiction it is! The creator God gets
glory through the cut out poster or promotion of a preacher. Have you ever thought
about it?
Nowadays almost all
organizations have what they call publicity coordinator. They are needed, but
sometimes we stretch it too far. Few years ago an incident happened. A sister
was looking at the song book of a conference and initially thought it is a
photo album. It was for the first time she saw a song book of that type. The outside title said it is a song book but less than 25% pages contained songs.
Now you may think I am ignorant about why we need advertisement and all financial
things attached to it. I am well aware of it and I will explain why I am
highlighting such things here.
At another time I saw an advertisement
about a small camp attended by about 35 people. The advertisement came in many leading
papers and newsletters with the photo of all officials involved and also the
preachers. When I asked someone about it then they said we want to let outside
people know that we also conduct such meetings. Other official of an event told
that it is just a show of strength of their church. I came across a newsletter
which had the photo of an official twice on the same page. We see advertisements
about meetings with photos of all preachers. It may be 10 days meeting, but you
will find 15 photos. 10 preachers and 5 organizers. Sometimes I feel that it is
too much of a show.
Another thing is with
mission reports. Sometimes it is the testimony which people give about what
they do. I am not saying it is wrong every time. Many times the motive is not
correct. Sometime ago I was in a church and a person came forward to give
testimony about his mission trip. He said everything about what he did. It sounded like he was glorifying his efforts and not God.
I see this trend on Facebook.
People think they are really smart. They pray for 5 minutes and they want the
world to know. They do if for the sake of encouragement but is that the
real motive?
The big question is how
much should I advertise what I do or did for the Lord? Should I go around and
tell people what I did. Many times we say we are telling what God did but are we really saying that or promoting our-self. By now I am sure that you got a
good idea of what I am trying to convey.
Let’s look at what Jesus
said in Mathew 6:1-4
1“Be careful not to
practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do,
you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
2 “So when you give to
the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the
synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they
have received their reward in full. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let
your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be
in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward
you." (NIV)
Jesus was not talking
about ministry here but about charity. There is an important principle we need to
learn out of it. In simple language - Do not show off to others.
I feel anything which is
done to show off or promote a person deprives God of the glory which belongs to
him. Any action which is self-exalting should be stopped in our life. Even if I
pray and move a mountain, it should not be advertised since it’s not I who did
it but it is God. Then a question can be raised. If I don't tell people then how
will they know that God can move mountains? There is a very thin line. If this
testimony makes me humble and at the end leaves people focused and praising God
then I am on the right side. Contrary to that if at the end focus is on me then
I have failed to convey it in a way which brings glory to God. How many times I
heard about such and such man or woman of God praised by people. Some people
are so trapped or addicted with this problem that they praise people more than
God.
I can write many more
things about it but I want to focus on the scriptures.
Mathew 6:5-6
5 “And when you pray, do
not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues
and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have
received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close
the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees
what is done in secret, will reward you. (NIV)
Mathew 6:16-18
16 “When you fast, do
not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show
others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in
full. 17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that
it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father,
who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward
you. (NIV)
I want to conclude by
giving some practical advices. I am not saying you should do it but you should
think about in the light if the issue I raised in this post.
- Avoid all kinds of self-promotion in life.
- Avoid and doesn’t delight when your photo comes up in someplace where you know that it should not have some.
- Do not enjoy and rejoice at fake exaltation or praise you receive.
- Be careful that your testimony does not end up being a promotion for yourself.
- Check who was in spotlight and who took maximum appreciation through what you did. It could be a message or preaching.
- Have the boldness to reject and correct if people say things about you which are not true.
- If you give charity then make sure they do not publish your name.
- If someone asks you to give personal advertisement in a songbook then if you want to help them then give money and avoid the advertisement part.
- Make sure you do not do anything to show off yourself, your family or your church or your ministry to others. No one will get saved seeing how great you are. If someone comes to Christ like that then they won't stay long since only Jesus can attract and bring people to his kingdom.
- Never start or do any ministry to show others that you are doing something or to promote your name among others.
May the Lord help you to reflect and think about this issue and
I want to conclude by saying that self-promotion always contradicts with Jesus
teaching.
God Bless You!
7 comments:
Well said with supporting fact,true today Christianity is all about fame name and money and surely Abba Father is bleeding seeing all this...
It is exactly wht Lord Said -The people have forgotten me days without number.....today it all about The Church , the meeting, the choir, the preacher and so on.. but as the intention is wrong , it will never be counted that all this bring The Lord Glory, our Abba sees the heart...!Very apt post.
Is not blogging a form of self promotion ?
I think you missed the main point in my blog. I was talking about self-promotion in the sense of trying to show that you are something and promoting yourself. Having a blog or Facebook page in today’s world is not a big deal. Anyone can have it. Now concerning blog, I think self-promotion depends upon what you write and try to convey. If you write about yourself and start praising yourself then it’s a form of self-promotion. But if you write and praise someone else then it’s not self-promotion but you are promoting something or somebody else. Let me know of any post in which I have promoted myself so that I can change it. My main intention is to lift up Jesus and spread the teaching of the Bible or address some social issue or something which helps someone else. I don't think I have ever written a blog with self-glorification or self-promotion. Again I may be wrong and if you can show it then I am more than willing to correct myself.
But I don't agree that writing a blog is self-promotion. Yes, it helps people know you. That is fine since we live in a society. The main question is whether the blog promotes you as someone greater or is it promoting someone else?
If I am not clear then I can elaborate on it.
Actually I still differ on basics actually -- Preaching and realization are two different aspects . you are right as far as preaching is concerned but realizing The GREAT TRUTH then " Great mystics of East have gone mum " -- no need to talk after that . I made a comment only because I know you are a true fighter on any path and will take a leap -- Big leap forward -- in coming days where every material thing will stand as nothing -- my thoughts and Good wishes for you -- Keep on moving -- The last comment was just to shake you bit -- lighter side.
Yash,
Thanks for your comments and compliments.
I agree that preaching and realization are different. I am not sure if we are talking the same things here. I believe that realization is important for sustained action in a person's life. A person can change based on emotional spur of the moment or with real conviction. I think the realization or conviction about truth is important for a person to stay long to his commitment.
Having said that preaching is needed since it’s the only way to help people on their way in pursuit of truth. Otherwise they need supernatural revelation or enlightenment which does not happen always. That’s takes us to another important and difficult questions. Is special enlightenment needed in every person's life?
Bible says something in Romans 10,
That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" (NIV)
So notice the last statements- Preacher needs to be sent to preach so that people can hear and then believe to be saved.
So preaching has a big role to play in a way that it helps listeners to believe.
So without underestimating the realization or conviction part, I believe that preaching is needed and that can be done through various means. I think blogging is one way of doing it and if you do it in a way that you message gets priority over yourself then I think it is fine.
Again God Bless you my brother!
First Thanks for your Blessings ! On Earth every mortal is in need of these good wishes and so am I .
The most impressive words “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" I have ever came across. Thanks for the enlightened words
Actually man is complex being and preachers are human being first and preachers later. So " Adam Curse" first to arrive and other things of realization may arrive or may not.
( This is purely my own belief -- not meant to hurt any kind of personal beliefs or sentiments )
Although my visions carved from my age old thought pattern says " One day every body will attain realization as we all are souls struggling to achieve this ultimate reality"
But sometimes modern day life styles and pattern prevailing in the society jolts us say reality is only materialism and there is nothing beyond. This happens because when we see majority of spiritual leaders ( may be preachers too ) amassing wealth and making their personal lifes comfortable in the end.
Although it is the said that anything collected by wrong means will ultimately be a cause of pain and suffering ,
But my bro we are living in "instant world"
Realization ---Is it really going to happen or will it become just a Phrase in times to come .
I think I have put my thoughts in an articulated manner. Please forgive if any word is against your / community's personal belief.
Today i have tried to put the "itch" in my heart forward .
"God Bless You". May this phrase holds good in everybody's life including you and me .
The number of I, My, and photo in a preaching / blog / publication compared to Jesus and God will shows who they are promoting.
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