Many of us desire greatness, success, riches, or popularity. The reason the Lord does not entrust these things to us is because we can’t be trusted with them. Fame and fortune is one of the hardest crosses to carry. Not because it is painful or particularly difficult, but because it besets the individual with a set of temptation that is unusually powerful. To have these perculiar blessings is to be entrust with something that will overwhelm most human souls. These things feed pride and vain-glory in a powerful way.

One man who knew this very well was George Whitefield. In his journal he wrote the following:

“The tide of popularity began to run very high. In a short time I could no longer walk on foot as usual, but was constrained to go in a coach from place to place, to avoid the hosannas of the multitude. They grew quite extravagant in their applauses, and had it not been for my compassionate High Priest, popularity would have destroyed me. I used to plead with Him to take me by the hand and lead me unhurt through this fiery furnace. He heard my request and gave me to see the vanity of all commendations but His own.”¹

He rightly understood the temptation and cried out to his High Priest for help. Sometimes we can covet the great ones in the world and ask God to give us what they have. Beware what you ask for. By asking for such things, you might be asking the Lord to lead you directly into a savage temptation that might overthrow your heart. Let this remind you to give thanks for what you have and plead with the High Priest to help you to walk faithfully in whatever station you have been given in this life.

1. Arnold A. Dallimore, The Biography of George Whitefield, 133. ↩︎