The Sure End of Self Promotion

So Haman came in and the king said to him, “What is to be done for the man whom the king desires to honor?” And Haman said to himself, “Whom would the king desire to honor more than me?” - Esther 6:6

"Mordecai?!"

Poor Haman. Blinded by ambition and unchecked hubris, he made the fateful error of trying to eliminate a people who belonged to God. In the end, Haman himself was eliminated and forced to endure an embarrassing parade on his way to the gallows he had personally erected for another.

Ambition and pride are, unfortunately, not the sole property of pagans. Even Christ-followers can be guilty of the same. Sometimes even we fall into the trap of believing that our service to the King of kings warrants some sort of special honor and, like Haman, destruction of our delusion can be both painful and humiliating. On the other hand, unlike the experience of Haman, the end of our pride is typically only death to "self" and glory for Christ.

A relentless pursuit of self-promotion will surely end in crucified flesh for those who follow Christ for He alone is to be exalted.

If you want to be miserable, think about yourself, about what you want, what you like, what respect people ought to pay you, and what people think of you. - Charles Kingsley