I woke up on Saturday morning to have my quiet time with God before my day got started.  I asked God to show me the message He had for me that day.  The verses that came into my spirit were 1Chronicles 14.  I thought ok let me go and see what that says.  These verses mention about David going into different battles with the Philistines.  David would ask God, “Should I go out and to fight them? Will your hand them over to me?”  The Lord replied, “Yes, go ahead.  I will hand them over to you.” Then again, in another battles he asks God how to conquer the Philistines and God tells him and David defeats them.  The interesting comment comes at the end of the chapter when verse 17 says, David’s fame spread everywhere, and the Lord caused all the nations to fear David. 

After reading these verses, I then went to my computer to read my email.  Everyday I get an email from Os Hillman with Marketplace Leaders called TGIF (Today God is First).  It is an awesome email devotional for Christians that want to live God’s mission in their work and businesses.  Well, you won’t believe the verse for that day devotional.  Keep reading below.

Here is the devotional in its entirety. 

“So David’s fame spread throughout every land, and the LORD made all the nations fear him” (1 Chron 14:17).

We live in a day of self-promotion. Marketing firms are hired today to persuade others to view a person or situation in the way they want you to. There are millions of dollars spent annually by sports companies, personality agents, and marketing firms to create fame for their clients and products. They negotiate sponsorship deals and try to get the most money for the most exposure. The ultimate goal is fame and notoriety.

There is a great danger in self-promotion. Self-promotion is trying to move from the place you are to a place ahead of where God may want you. It is not wrong to become famous, popular or desired by others as long as it happens as a fruit of your calling. However, when you begin to orchestrate things in an effort to inflate who you are for the sake of gain, you have crossed the line.

David’s fame was a result of his fulfilling his mission in life. When he failed, he repented. When he was successful, he acknowledged the Lord. Never do you see David exalt himself over the Lord. Yes, he made some selfish decisions that led to sin. But David could not be criticized for self-promotion.

We all must carefully balance the difference between marketing designed to inform and educate versus promote and manipulate. Describing the true attributes of a product, service or person is good marketing communications. However, persuasion designed to inflate reality is witchcraft.

Proverbs says, “Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; someone else, and not your own lips (Prov 27:2).

Following this principle will keep you from moving beyond God’s method of promotion.

Obviously, this was a message I needed to hear and chose to listen.  As I am working on my company website, God is giving me wisdom and guidance on how to protray the information.  In the past, I have elevated myself before God had prepared me.  For the last 3 years, He has done alot of work in me to shift my heart and mind towards His ways and not mine.  It is a daily consious decision to choose to listen to Him and not be bombarded by all the “stuff” out there yelling out at me to self-promote.  

Many Blessings, Michelle Howe

I Woke Up Yesterday