I want to bring what I’m about to
write for my brothers and sisters in Christ is something I want you all to
study, meditate on… We all must confess and admit to basing our self-worth in
worldly things. For example, we base our worth on how much money we make or how
beautiful we are. Others base their worth on their fame, their status in their
community. Some base their worth on how good they fight. Others base their
worth on how intelligent they are. Having that University Degree or great job
is how some base their self-worth. And some on how independent and
self-sufficient they are, to the point of not even depending and trusting in
The Lord.
The “keeping up with the Joneses”
mentality, which is an idiom of comparing ourselves to our neighbor, coveting
and having the same or better things that our neighbor has so that our ego is
not hurt. Our neighbor being anyone… Friends, family, classmates, the people we
know in our community, etc. Social class, our success in life is how we measure
our self-worth. Reputation is what it is all about in this life.
Philippians 2:3-8 ~ 3 Let nothing be done through strife or VAINGLORY; but in lowliness
of mind let each esteem OTHERS BETTER THAN THEMSELVES. 4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the
things of others. 5 Let this mind be in you,
which was also in Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be EQUAL
WITH GOD: 7 But made himself of no
REPUTATION, and took upon him the form of a SERVANT, and was made in the
likeness of men: 8 And being found in fashion
as a man, he HUMBLED himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of
the cross.
The main thing I will be talking about is
vainglory, but I still will address the other aspects of this verse. “Esteem
others better than ourselves.” Yet, we try to esteem ourselves better than
others. We try to be, “The best”. Which is for the sake of our own ego. We look
on our neighbor’s things; we compare ourselves to others when measuring our
self-worth.
Even God Almighty, the Creator of the
Universe made Himself of no reputation. How can this be when Christianity is
widely known in the world? Jesus of Nazareth name spread wide and far since He
came, but even our mere heart bares witness to His existence. Jeremiah 31:33,
Romans 2:15, Hebrews 10:6.
So what exactly is this verse talking
about when it says that, “Lord Jesus made Himself of no reputation”? The
explanation is simply this… That God when He chose to come to earth could have
decided to be born into royalty, but He didn’t, in His sovereignty He chose to
be born to a humble Hebrew woman, Mary of Nazareth.
The mere fact that Almighty God came to
earth to be made human is vast humility, being made a little lower than the
angels, A.K.A human. Psalm 8:3-6 and Hebrews 2:7-9. The other aspect of Lord
Jesus having no reputation is He was hated among men for His teachings, John
15:8. He rebuked the Pharisees because they were void of humility in their
hearts and filled to the brim with self-righteousness. Looking down upon Jesus
for eating with the sick, sinners, and tax collectors. Mark 2:13-17.
Making himself of no reputation was being
everything that the Jews expected him not to be. No form, nor comeliness, nor
beauty that He should be desired, Isaiah 53:2. In His sovereignty He chose to
be this way to be an example of humility and not desiring reputation among men.
Prophecy of the Lord Jesus, yet the Jews didn’t realize it. They were too
blinded by their own expectation and their own desires that their Messiah would
be a warrior that would come and liberate them from the Romans.
The Jews wanted to have the superiority
over all the nations, and even some Jews today still see themselves as God’s
chosen people, and that they are superior from others in the world. This is not
the way God wants us to be. We are not to be superior minded or arrogant or
seek after reputation or care about the opinion of the world. As Christians we
are to only care about God’s opinion and this is how he wants us to be, not
focused on vainglory.
What is vainglory again? Anything that
does not profit us spiritually such as, Money, Fame, Sexual partners,
Intelligence, Fighting capability, Physical looks… Who in the Bible is someone
who had a lot of vainglory? King Solomon.
He had riches, known as one of the richest
kings. All his cups were made of gold, not one made of silver or bronze,
but of gold. 1 Kings 10:21. His wealth was so immense that gold and silver were
made as plentiful as there were stones. 2 Chronicles 1:15.
He was King of Israel, son of King David.
He had fame that even the Queen of Sheba came to see King Solomon because his
fame spread far and wide because of his wisdom and his wealth. She visits with
many gifts of gold, spices, gems and Solomon gave her all her desire,
whatsoever she asked. 1 Kings 10:10
He had many women. 700 wives and 300
concubines. 1 Kings 11:3. He was loved by many virgins and his lover in Song of
Solomon constantly calls him handsome.
He led his men in war. 1 Kings 9:22. Though, King Solomon’s hands weren’t bloody like his father David’s hands were, for Solomon was allowed to build the temple unlike his father. 1 Chronicles 22:8.
Lastly, Solomon has wisdom, this wisdom given by the Lord because of Solomon’s selfless and humble prayer to only ask for wisdom, and not a long life, or riches, to defeat his enemies, etc. Solomon’s wisdom is what brought him back to his first humble prayer…
1 Kings 3:5-15 ~ 5 In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee. 6 And Solomon said, Thou hast shewed unto thy servant David my father great mercy, according as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast kept for him this great kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. 7 And now, O Lord my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in. 8 And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude. 9 Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people? 10 And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing. 11 And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment; 12 Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee. 13 And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honour: so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days. 14 And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy days. 15 And Solomon awoke; and, behold, it was a dream. And he came to Jerusalem, and stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and offered up burnt offerings, and offered peace offerings, and made a feast to all his servants.
God was the one to give Solomon not only wisdom, but riches and honor for Solomon to only realize that these things are vain. Solomon had many things that any man would love for the sake of giving them a feeling of self-worth, but we see Solomon go astray from the Lord because of his women and riches. He realizes this and repents in the Book of Ecclesiastes, which I encourage you to go read after you are done reading this article. Solomon most likely still ended up going to hell though if you read 1 Kings 11 where the last deed of his life was seeking to kill Jeroboam.
The Book of Ecclesiastes was written towards the end of King Solomon’s reign, approximately 935 B.C. and why it is seen as a book of Solomon’s repentance just as Psalm 51 is widely known as King David’s repentance, though I see it more as a revelation. The Book of Ecclesiastes teaches the meaning of life. Solomon proclaims all the actions of man to be vain, meaningless, temporary, etc. etc. etc. as the lives of both rich and poor, wise and foolish end in physical death, spiritual Death without God, Ecclesiastes 2:16.
This book reveals the deep depression the author feels in trying to find meaning in worldly things, trying to find self-worth in worldly things, trying to find happiness in worldly things. Solomon explores most every type of earthly pleasure, him having experienced having most every worldly pleasure, and none of it gave him a sense of meaning or worth. By the end of the book, the author known as the Preacher comes to the revelation that life is but a vapor and everyone no matter their social status, no matter their wisdom… They will die and then only God’s judgment remains.
We then have the Preacher of Ecclesiastes advice the reader to focus not on any worldly pleasure as a source of self-worth and happiness, but to use their life for God, because God gives personal meaning to this life and saves us in the afterlife. God is eternal, but worldly pleasure is only temporary. God gives meaning/worth and worldly pleasure does not. The lesson is, base your identity in Christ and not in the things of this world.
Ecclesiastes 1:1-2 ~ 1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. 2 Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.
I pray you were edified and encouraged by this. May the Lord Jesus bless you and may you base your self-worth and identity in Him.
Galatians 6:14 ~ But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.
