The following is from Men of the Bible by James Stuart Bell:
"In a culture where ambition is praised as a man's highest virtue, far too many Christian men adopt a "whatever it takes" attitude toward rising up the ranks.
Whether it's the CEO who cooks the books (just a little!) to make himself and his company look better to investors, the low-level business executive who bad-mouths his peers to make himself look better to his superiors, or the church member who creates problems in the congregation to further his own agenda, people take advantage of opportunities for self-promotion that abound in this world.
God takes a dim view of such strategies.
A man named Shebna held a good deal of power in the administration of King Hezekiah, but pride and vanity ruled his heart. He used his high position to promote himself by beginning to construct an extravagant tomb for his eventual burial.
In so doing, Shebna wrote his own ticked out of town.
Although he sought personal glory, Shebna discovered the quickest way to the bottom. The Lord put a stop to his plans, removed him from office, and exiled him far from Judah (see Isaiah 22:17-18). God had given Shebna everything he needed to become a great servant, but the foolish man squandered those good gifts by trying to rise to the top in his own selfish way.
No doubt you have some goals that you want to reach and the talents angd gifts you need to make them happen. God want to be at the center of all your plans. your part in the equation is to use all He has given you for His glory and the good of other."
So you might be wondering why i posted something like this. Basically it nails exactly what has been stressing my heart out this month/week. As you all know, i'm a theatre kid. Performing for and audience excites my heart and puts me in a state of sheer joy. As of right now i am a history major at SELU. Now, the big issue has been pondering what exactly i want to do with my life from here. I do love to study history, and the thought of teaching people about it does indeed excite my heart. But i find myself most often daydreaming of music, performing that music, and giving all the credit to God. But what would that cost? Am i ready to give up a more steady future like education for something that could fail with an injury? If it's what i love and continue to dream about it should be a no-brainer....right? Well here's where Shebna comes in! A more important question to ask myself is: am i idolizing the talent i've been given, building myself up, instead of focusing on God's plan and allowing Him to put my talents to the rhythms of His plans for me? Who knows what i'm supposed to be asking myself! I need prayer that i figure this out and that i grown to focus on what's in front of me and allow God to "take the wheel" , if i may quote ms. underwood :) I'm not going to give up working on anything. I'll just have to step down from pedestal right now and stop worrying.....
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