Examples Of Seeking Self Glory
Seeking self-glory, often understood as pride or vainglory, manifests in various ways, primarily characterized by an individual's desire to elevate themselves rather than God or others. Jesus explicitly states, "I do not seek my own glory" [1], contrasting His mission with those who pursue personal acclaim. This pursuit of one's own glory is consistently presented in Christian thought as a fundamental deviation from humility and proper worship.
One prominent example of seeking self-glory is the desire to establish one's own doctrines or ideas for personal recognition. John Chrysostom explains that "He that desireth to establish any doctrine of his own, desireth to do so only that he himself may enjoy the glory" [5]. This suggests that when individuals promote unique teachings not rooted in divine truth, their underlying motivation can be a desire for personal honor rather than the dissemination of truth. Augustine similarly notes that Christ spoke not from Himself because He is the Son of the Father, implying that speaking "of himself" is characteristic of one who seeks his own glory [2].
Another manifestation of self-glory is the act of self-praise and the pursuit of human applause. John Gill, commenting on Proverbs, states that "to set forth their own excellencies, to sound forth their own praises to seek honour of men, to use all methods to gain popular applause; this is not glorious and praiseworthy, but dishonourable" [4]. This behavior is seen as a perversion of true glory, which should be directed towards God. Augustine further elaborates that even those who outwardly despise human praise can still be seeking self-glory if they are primarily trying to please themselves, as pleasing oneself is still a form of seeking human approval [7].
Arrogance and an inflated sense of self-importance also exemplify seeking self-glory. Chrysostom warns against thinking oneself to be "something, when he is nothing," identifying this as a sign of worthlessness and arrogance [8]. This self-deception prevents individuals from recognizing their true state and hinders genuine spiritual growth. Such arrogance can lead to contention, as Thomas Aquinas links discord and contention to vainglory, noting that individuals cling to their own opinions and defend them verbally in pursuit of their own glory [10].
The root of seeking self-glory is often identified as pride, a desire for self-sufficiency that turns one away from God. Augustine describes this as a "wicked desire which prompts man to please himself as if he were himself light," leading to a fall from dependence on God [3]. This pride precedes destruction, while humility precedes honor [3]. In contrast to this self-seeking, Christ consistently honored His Father, stating, "I honor my Father, and ye dishonor me," and "I seek not mine own glory" [9]. This demonstrates that true righteousness involves seeking the glory of the one who sent Him, not one's own [6].
Sources
- John “John 8:50 (YLT) — and I do not seek my own glory; there is who is seeking and is judging;”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 7: Augustine — Homilies on John — CHARTER VII. 14-18. (part 6): Thou saidst; for they see not the trinity, but follow the error of their own heart. Let us worshippers of the trinity and unity of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, and one God, understand concerning Christ's doctrine, how it is not His. And He said that He spoke not from Himself for this reason, because Christ is the Son of the Father, and the Father is the Father of Christ; and the Son is from God the Father, God, but God the Father is God not from God the Son. 8. "He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory.' This wi”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 2: Augustine — City of God, Christian Doctrine — CHAP. 13.--THAT IN ADAM'S SIN AN EVIL WILL (part 3): to be self-sufficing, he fell away from Him who truly suffices him. Accordingly, this wicked desire which prompts man to please himself as if he were himself light, and which thus turns him away from that light by which, had he followed it, he would himself have become light,--this wicked desire, I say, already secretly existed in him, and the open sin was but its consequence. For that is true which is written, "Pride goeth before destruction, and before honor is humility;"(2) that i”
- Proverbs (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Proverbs 25:26: It is not good to eat much honey,.... That is too much otherwise it is good to eat, Pro 24:13; but too much is hurtful, it surfeits the stomach increases choler (e) and creates loathing; and indeed, too much of anything is bad (f); so for men to search their own glory is not glory: to set forth their own excellencies, to sound forth their own praises to seek honour of men, to use all methods to gain popular applause; this is not glorious and praiseworthy, but dishonourable; or it may be rendered as it literally lies in the original, "but to search out", or "the s”
- CCEL/NPNF (Eastern Orthodox) “John Chrysostom, Homilies on John & Hebrews: his own glory.” That is, “He that desireth to establish any doctrine of his own, desireth to do so only that he himself may enjoy the glory. 1395 1395 al. “He that desires to speak of himself, desires it on no other account, but only to reap glory from this.” Now if I desire not to enjoy glory, wherefore should I desire to establish any doctrine of My own? He that speaketh of himself, that is, who speaketh anything peculiar or different from others, speaketh on this account, that he may establish his own glory; but if I seek the glory of Him that se”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 7: Augustine — Homilies on John — CHARTER VII. 14-18. (part 7): seek His glory from whom thou hast this grace, that thou art a man adopted; His, whose glory He sought who is from Him, the Only-begotten. "But He that seeketh His glory that sent Him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in Him" In Antichrist, 186 however, there is unrighteousness, and he is not true; because he will seek his own glory, not His by whom he was sent: for, indeed, he was not sent, but only permitted to come. Let us all, therefore, that belong to the body of Christ, seek not our own glory, that we be”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 2: Augustine — City of God, Christian Doctrine — CHAP. 20.--THAT IT IS AS SHAMEFUL FOR THE VIRTUES TO SERVE HUMAN GLORY AS BODILY PLEASURE. (part 2): from the charge of such baseness, whilst they, by way of being despisers of glory, disregard the judgment of other men, seem to themselves wise, and please themselves. For their virtue,--if, indeed, it is virtue at all,--is only in another way subjected to human praise; for he who seeks to please himself seeks still to please man. But he who, with true piety towards God, whom he loves, believes, and hopes in, fixes his attention more on”
- CCEL/NPNF (Eastern Orthodox) “John Chrysostom, Homilies on Galatians–Colossians–Thessalonians: his neighbor, nothing will ever be performed by you as it ought. For as in the case of the body, if one were to exact the same function from every member of it, the body could never consist, so must there be great strife among brethren if we were to require all things from all. Ver. 3 . “For if a man thinketh himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.” 44 Here again he reflects on their arrogance. He that thinks himself to be something is nothing, and exhibits at the outset a proof of his worthlessness by ”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 7: Augustine — Homilies on John — CHAPTER VIII. 48-59. (part 2): one whom He did not account an alien. (5) To this, then, He only replied that He had not a devil, but not that He was not a Samaritan. 3. And then after such an insult, this was all that He said of His own glory: "But I honor," said He, "my Father, and ye dishonor me." That is, I honor not myself, that ye may not think me arrogant. I have One to honor; and did ye recognize me, just as I honor the Father, so would ye also honor me. I do what I ought; ye do not what ye ought. 4. "And I," said He, "seek not mine own glory:”
- theology (Catholic (Scholastic)) “Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Second Part of the Second Part (Secunda Secundae), Of Contention, Art. 2: Article: Whether contention is a daughter of vainglory? I answer that, As stated above (Question [37], Article [2]), discord is a daughter of vainglory, because each of the disaccording parties clings to his own opinion, rather than acquiesce with the other. Now it is proper to pride and vainglory to seek one's own glory. And just as people are discordant when they hold to their own opinion in their hearts, so are they contentious when each defends his own opinion by words. Consequently content”