Rising To The Bottom - Shebna

“Who do you think you are, and what are you doing here, building a beautiful tomb for yourself—a monument high up in the rock?”

Isaiah 22:16

In a culture where ambition is praised as a man’s highest virtue, far too many Christian men adopt a “whatever it takes” attitude toward rising up the ranks.

Whether it’s the CEO who cooks the books (just a little!) to make himself and his company look better to investors, the low-level business executive who bad-mouths his peers to make himself look better to his superiors, or the church member who creates problems in the congregation to further his own agenda, people take advantage of opportunities for self-promotion that abound in this world.

God takes a dim view of such strategies.

A man named Shebna held a good deal of power in the administration of King Hezekiah, but pride and vanity ruled his heart. He used his high position to promote himself by beginning to construct an extravagant tomb for his eventual burial.

In so doing, Shebna wrote his own ticket out of town.

Although he sought personal glory, Shebna discovered the quickest way to the bottom. The Lord put a stop to his plans, removed him from office, and exiled him far from Judah (see Isaiah 22:17-18). God had given Shebna everything he needed to become a great servant, but the foolish man squandered those good gifts by trying to rise to the top in his own selfish way.

No doubt you have some goals that you want to reach and the talents and gifts you need to make them happen. God wants to be at the center of all your plans. Your part in the equation is to use all he has given you for his glory and the good of others.

Regardless of your specific circumstances, God has put you in a place of leadership and authority so that you can selflessly and humbly serve others. Remember—as Shebna did not—that God bestows his gifts so that you may exalt him, not yourself.