“If you have been foolish in exalting yourself or if you have plotted evil, put your hand on your mouth …” (Proverbs 30:32)

It is surely interesting that in this verse, “if you have been foolish in exalting yourself” is paralleled with “if you have plotted evil.” Many of us would never think of “plotting evil” — but we have indeed been guilty of “exalting yourself.”  These two are evidently equally heinous before God!  

This verse is a good reminder to us,  not to be foolish in exalting ourselves. Life is not about getting yourself fame, notoriety, personality, acclaim — although the desire for this is something that is instilled in many of us from our youth.  Everyone wants to be famous, to be on television, to be “known” for something.  It is “swimming upstream” not to want this in our society.

So it is easy to try to do things in order to get this kind of attention for ourselves: in our family, our school, even in our church.  Drop a few words about that thing you did — it will get around and people will be impressed.  The Bible says this kind of thing is “foolish.”  You are not here to exalt yourself.  You have a different purpose entirely: you exist to glorify God.  The old Westminster Catechism had it right: “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.”  Don’t look for how you can “get your name out there” today. Look for ways to glorify God — that is what you are here for!