'As the fining pot for silver, and the furnace for gold; so is a man to his praise.'
-- Proverbs 27:21
I was reading the 27th chapter of Proverbs this morning, trying to get back into a Bible reading routine, when I noticed this passage. It probably stood out to me because I had been talking with a Christian co-worker late last night about my problems with pride. I began giving my testimony and preaching publicly within months after being saved. I was a 19 year old believer in Christ who was full of zeal. Unfortunately, I was also ignorant and full of myself. I was blinded by pride.
In my mind, I extolled myself above the other young people who weren't spiritual enough for me. I refused to come under the authority of the youth pastor, and was puffed up by my knowledge of Scripture. You would think that my many hours of reading the Word of God would have served to humble me. Instead, I used my knowledge to show off to others how elite I was, having only been saved and in the church for less than a year.
I didn't realize any of this back then. I did have good people in my life who tried to talk to me, but I rarely listened. I wouldn't have admitted it back then, but I loved receiving compliments from people in the church when I spoke at the midweek services. Instead of giving God the glory, I became fat off of the praise of men. In this way I was being 'tested by my praise'.
Here's what Matthew Henry wrote about this verse in his commentary on Proverbs:
'This gives us a touchstone by which we may try ourselves. Silver and gold are tried by putting them into the furnace and fining-pot; so is man tried by praising him. Let him be extolled and preferred, and then he will show himself what he is. 1. If a man be made, by the applause that is given him, proud, conceited, and scornful,—if he take the glory to himself which he should transmit to God, as Herod did,—if, the more he is praised, the more careless he is of what he says and does,—if he lie in bed till noon because his name is up, thereby it will appear that he is a vain foolish man, and a man who, though he be praised, has nothing in him truly praise-worthy. 2. If, on the contrary, a man is made by his praise more thankful to God, more respectful to his friends, more watchful against every thing that may blemish his reputation, more diligent to improve himself, and do good to others, that he may answer the expectations of his friends from him, by this it will appear that he is a wise and good man. He has a good temper of mind who knows how to pass by evil report and good report, and is still the same.'
I failed this test, over and over again. In fact, many passages in Proverbs became reality when I secretly (or so I thought!) went back to some of my old sinning ways. How sad. I thought I was the next David Wilkerson, and instead had turned out to be lost as a goose in a snowstorm, blinded by the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. Many years have passed since then, and I have learned a lot, but I know that the praise of men can sometimes still be a source of stumbling for me, as well as my 'knowledge'.
The upside of this is that God is faithful and just to forgive me of my sins, and to cleanse me from all unrighteousness. Does living as a disciple of Jesus Christ mean we have to sin or take a hard fall like I did? No, we don't have to. But if we do sin in this way (or any way), Jesus is our advocate before the Father and will speak in our defense.
True
