Going to Your Head

You know what happens when you over-inflate an ego? Eventually that ego pops. So how do you keep your ego from being over-inflated?

The purity of silver and gold is tested by putting them in the fire; the purity of human hearts is tested by giving them a little fame. (Proverbs 27:21 MSG)

This translation of this passage is good because it is apparent to the reader of this Proverb as to how to keep yourself in check — see how your ego deals with a little bit of “fame.” Let’s not delve into this thinking that the writer is talking about fame as in celebrity or reality star. “Fame” is just recognition. If you get a little bit of recognition and you’re over the moon for it, then you have to ask yourself, “where is your heart?”

Our character is defined by what we allow to infiltrate into our depths of our hearts and change our perspectives. The king who wrote this knows this best. People came from all over the place to seek out Solomon because he was known and regarded to be the “wisest” of all his contemporaries. The Bible even said people gifted him things just to hear the man speak. He understood what it meant to test his heart. His advice was to test yourself and see where your heart is.

In the gospels, you may have noticed a pattern with how Jesus deals with fame– he withdraws to center to himself with God, the Father. If you look at every big miracle or event where hundreds and thousands witnessed and began recognizing him, he would send the people away and withdraw by himself to pray and to be with our Father.

Before you let it go to your head, you may want to do what Jesus did, withdraw from the fame and spend time with the God who blessed you with the fame. See what’s in your heart, is it God or is it something else?