In the end self-promotion fails. Jeremiah 4:30 says, “And you, Zion, city doomed to destruction, you accomplish nothing by wearing a beautiful dress, decking yourself out in jewels of gold, and putting on eye shadow! You are making yourself beautiful for nothing. Your lovers spurn you. They want to kill you.”

The Israelites wanted to persuade other countries to bail them out from God’s impending judgment through the other nations. Instead, Judah should have repented.  Judah should have taken off the make-up and repented. Do you need to take off your mask/make-up?  We can build a platform for our life but in the end God elevates the humble and humbles the elevated.  As ministers manipulation, lowercase “k” kingdom building, and boasting may build a big stage but it will be a hollow stage from which we will crumble. What we build with our hands out of pride will be opposed by God (James 4:6). God already sees through it and loves you still. To paraphrase what CJ Mahaney said, “I am an arrogant man pursuing humility.”  To often it is “all Shawn, all the time.”  Too often I look to others to help me out instead of looking to God for the answer. My deep desire is that it would be all God, all the time because in the end everything is from Him—every good thing that is. It is all for His glory. My prayer is that God will use this ministry how He sees fit. I am simply His instrument.