Inherent in those who are worshiped by others is to trust in themselves, science, opinions, etc. rather than to humbly submit and trust in God. When others continually tell you how great you are, how gifted you are, how special you are, it's hard for them to ignore those voices and realize that they are none of the above. Yet, many of those deemed unsophisticated by the world's standards have turned their eyes towards Jesus for their hope. America which is a wealthy nation, has become complacent towards God, and has sought to elevate self-esteem rather than to esteem God. We read in James 4:14, "whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away." The only thing that remains after our time here on earth is our souls, and the decisions that we make here and now determine where our souls go for eternity.

We come across a very powerful section of Scripture in 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 contrasting those who deem themselves wise according to the world's standards as opposed to those deemed foolish by others, "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God...Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?...Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things which are, that no flesh should glory in His presence....". We live in a world which seeks self-esteem, being self-made and seeking after our own glory. But Jesus, over and over again flips the reality of this world on it's head. To be truly rich you must be poor. To be truly strong you must be weak. To be truly wise you must be foolish. It all comes down to Whom we place our trust in: ourselves, others, or Him? Unless we humble ourselves and see ourselves in the light of God, we cannot find Him. It is pride which blinds the path of so many.

With atheism and agnosticism on the rise in the United States, the time for a shift is needed. There is nothing wrong with trying to excel personally or teaching your children to try their hardest in school, athletics, business, etc. But there is something very wrong with teaching our children to exalt themselves. By continually telling them or believing ourselves that they and we are so special, we take our eyes off the only One who is indeed special. We must remember that God spoke through a donkey (Numbers 22). God doesn't really need any of us or need what we deem to be our special qualities. But in His mercy and grace, he has chosen to partner with us if we are willing. He accepts us flawed as we are, and accomplishes His will through us, imperfect as we are. The sooner we realize this, the sooner we can be used for His kingdom. May we all humble ourselves before Almighty God, and may we teach our children to do the same and make this more important than anything else in our and their lives.