1 Maccabees 3:10-15: a reflection

As enemies gather against Judas and the faithful, one commander's motive is laid bare: Seron went out to fight, not for any cause, but to make a name and win glory for himself. I will make myself a name and get myself glory in the kingdom, Seron said; I will fight against Judas. His aim was self-glory, to make a name for himself, to win renown; he took up the fight not for justice or for God, but for his own reputation and glory. This is a revealing and sobering motive: acting for our own glory, to make a name for ourselves. This shows the danger of acting for our own glory, to make a name for ourselves. Beware acting to make a name and win glory for yourself. Seron fought for self-glory, not for any good cause. Self-glory is a hollow and sobering motive. Do not act merely to win a name for yourself.

Notice the motive that drove Seron. He did not take up the fight because it was just, or right, or for God's cause; he took it up to make a name for himself and win glory in the kingdom. His aim was self-glory, personal renown, the building of his own reputation. This is a revealing and sobering motive, and one that can drive far more than warfare. We can be moved, in much of what we do, by the desire to make a name for ourselves, to win glory, renown, and reputation, to be seen and admired. Even in good works, even in service, this motive can creep in: doing things not for God or for others, but for our own glory, to be thought well of, to build our name. But self-glory is a hollow and unworthy motive. It puts ourselves at the center where God should be; it seeks our own honor rather than God's; and it turns even good actions into self-serving ones. We do well to examine our motives, to guard against acting merely to make a name for ourselves and win glory, and to seek instead to act for God's glory and the good of others, not our own renown. Guard against acting merely to make a name and win glory for yourself. Self-glory puts ourselves at the center where God should be. Examine your motives; do not seek your own glory. Act for God's glory and others' good, not your own renown.

That is worth taking to heart, for acting merely to make a name for ourselves and win glory is a hollow and unworthy motive, and we do well to guard against it, seeking God's glory instead, as Seron's self-glorying motive was laid bare. We can be driven, even in good works, by the desire to make a name and win glory for ourselves, to be seen and admired; but Seron took up his fight not for any good cause but for self-glory, and it is a hollow motive. Self-glory puts us at the center where God should be. Examine your motives; guard against seeking your own glory, and act instead for God's glory and others' good. Examine your motives and guard against acting merely to make a name for yourself and win glory, seeking instead God's glory and the good of others, as Seron, when enemies gathered against Judas and the faithful, took up the fight not for any cause of justice or of God but to make a name for himself and win glory in the kingdom, saying, I will make myself a name and get myself glory; for his aim was self-glory, personal renown, and the building of his own reputation, a revealing and sobering motive that can drive far more than warfare, since we can be moved in much of what we do by the desire to make a name for ourselves and be seen and admired, and even in good works and service this motive can creep in, doing things not for God or others but for our own glory, but self-glory is a hollow and unworthy motive that puts ourselves at the center where God should be, seeks our own honor rather than God's, and turns even good actions into self-serving ones, so that we do well to examine our motives and guard against acting merely to make a name for ourselves, seeking instead to act for God's glory and the good of others rather than our own renown.