“At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Ps. 16: 11)
Growing Dominion, Part 152
“It is not good to eat much honey: so for men to search their own glory is not glory” (Prov. 25:27).
Americans generally tolerate their politicians, and the occasional military hero receives great glory. Sports heroes also come in for great respect, provided they are at the Michael Jordan or Tiger Woods level. Entertainment celebrities—actors and musicians—are usually enjoyed but not greatly admired. And all this is to say that for Americans, the glory that is set before everyone to achieve is the glory of success in business.
That being the case, it is good for us as Christians to conduct our business in such a way that we are not seeking our own glory. According to Scripture, to be your own glory hound is no glory at all. This does not mean that Christians in business should not work hard, looking for success, but it does mean that they should work in such a way that, when success comes, it will clearly be the case that the Lord has done it. If you succeed and everyone says, “That figures. He’s such a climber,” then the spirit of this passage has been neglected.