“And do you seek great things for yourself? Do not seek them…”
Jeremiah 45:5a

These were the words of God through the prophet Jeremiah to Baruch. You may remember that Baruch was Jeremiah’s personal secretary and scribe. Because Baruch worked for the great prophet Jeremiah, he may have been tempted to think of himself as more than Jeremiah’s servant. Maybe this was why the Lord lovingly, yet poignantly, reminded Baruch not to seek greatness for Himself.

The message of these words can apply to any of us who ever have visions of grandeur. The message is not hard to decipher. It is simply that we must not seek any elevated position or notoriety for ourselves. If God is pleased to bestow it, we must not shirk it, but neither dare we seek it.

One of the key elements of the gospel is that we Christian are sinners who can do nothing to commend ourselves to God. This is why we need a Savior who alone can save His people from our sins! Understanding the gospel, according to Paul in Ephesians 2:8-9, disallows any “boasting.” Why? Because when we know God’s Holiness, and our sinfulness, all boasting will be in the Lord, rather than in ourselves.

Take a moment and praise the Lord for His incredibly kind grace, remembering that “Salvation is of the Lord” (Jonah 2:9), and not of ourselves.

Footnote: Someone asked how this is to be understood in light of Paul writing in 1 Timothy 3:1 that desiring the office of elder is good. The answer lies in understanding that seeking to be a leader on the Church is good unless, one is seeking that position for self-promotion or aggrandizement. Rightly understood, desiring to be an elder is a desire to serve in humility!