Reading a little further in Pickering, I encountered this paragraph:
It is the nature of the flesh to want recognition and greatness. The sons of Zebedee were supremely concerned about their status in the coming kingdom. ‘Grant unto us that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand, in thy glory’ (Mark 10:37). On another occasion the disciples enquired, ‘Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ (Matt. 18:1). Their question sounds hauntingly familiar, similar to the present-day scramble among evangelicals for ‘bragging rights.’ The Scriptures give an antidote for this problem: ‘And seekest thou great things for thyself? seek them not’ (Jer. 45:5). How many of God’s servants today are spending much thought, time, and energy seeking ‘great things’? Our goal should be the honor and glory of the blessed Lord. ‘For I know that the Lord is great’ (Ps. 135:5). [Ernest Pickering, The Tragedy of Compromise, 136-137]
Dr. Pickering’s words sound like an echo of my last post. I am afraid, however, that it is not just evangelicals who scramble for bragging rights. The phenomenon is all too familiar in fundamental circles as well, although perhaps our self-promoters are less interested in the applause of the world than the applause of the brethren.
Whatever the focus of the lust for recognition, it is a Spirit-deadening ingredient in Christian ministry. It is a major component of the fuel of wood, hay, and stubble Paul speaks of in 1 Cor 3.
May our ambitions be to please Christ, and let Him give us recognition, or not.
Regards,
Don Johnson
Jer 33.3
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