And Samuel said unto the people, It is the Lord that advanced Moses and Aaron, and that brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt. – 1 Samuel 12:6, KJV

Since the Garden of Eden, people have wanted to be more significant than they already are. It was the hope of being more significant that drove Eve to buy into Satan’s lie, and it is that same hope that drives most of us towards making similar pride-filled decisions. God’s plan for advancement – both in our own eyes and in the eyes of other people – doesn’t rest on self-promotion, power grabs, or trampling on other people’s rights. Instead, it rests on humble, selfless service to others – the very model that Christ Himself displayed while here on Earth.

Another example of God’s promotion model is Moses. As 1 Samuel 12:6 reminds us, it was God who advanced Moses; it wasn’t Moses who advanced Moses. Moses tried to advance himself in Exodus 2:12, but all that effort brought him was forty years on the back side of the desert. It was only after Moses became truly humble that he was ready to be advanced by God, and when he was ready, God advanced him mightily!

Can people advance themselves in this sin-cursed world? They think they can. What most people don’t realize is that God is sovereign, having unlimited power and authority over His creation. Even the wicked are advanced according to God’s plan, just as Pharaoh was in Exodus 9:16. So, the question really isn’t, “Can people advance themselves?” The questions is, “In what way do you want God to advance you? As an enemy, like Pharaoh, or as a friend, like Moses?”

Which method of advancement do you prefer?