What does it mean to be exalted? It is a term for someone who deserves praise. What does it mean to be praiseworthy? The way I consider praise and those who are praiseworthy is someone who deserves it, but does not seek it, does not want it, and does not insist upon receiving it, and yet, receives it anyway. In other words, they are humble.
Humility is a concept that seems to have been lost in today's society. Everyone wants to be seen in a way that makes them feel good. They lower their own standards to "reach" the standards of others. They give up their purity in an effort to receive love. They forfeit who they are as they look for praise from others. They lose their uniqueness in order to be accepted by the crowd. They want to belong more than anything and so they do anything to belong. Even if it leads to a road of misery, they want to be miserable with others. Cell phones have become the means of elevating oneself through posts, clicks, and thumbs up for anything that is shared on-line and sadly, the cell phone has become the drug of choice for today.
Everyone has great possibility within themselves. Who they are is not determined by others and self-worth is not found in your friendships. Friends come and go and you will transition through relationships as you age. You will no longer remain a high school student and even if you wanted to stay your friends would move on. You might go to college and meet new friends. They also will transition out of college to a career or a relationship where you are not invited. People will come and people will go. If you do not have a purpose of your own, you will constantly feel lost and depressed as others move on. If you do not have a path to follow, you will find everyone else following their dreams and in comparison you will feel you have missed out. It will feel unfair, but the truth is you allowed this to happen. When you choose not to dream, to pursue a life of your own, you forfeit everything for everyone else. Sadly, they are not forfeiting for you. They are not paying attention to your choices because they are making their own. They are not noticing you standing alone because they are looking where they are going, not where they've been. You have exalted others as more worthy than yourself and hoped someone would exalt you.
When you find yourself alone, this is the time for focus on you. When there are no others caring for you, care for yourself. When others have left you, love yourself. When you focus on you, you give yourself value those others can't take away. When you love yourself first, you don't need the praise and acceptance of others because you know who you truly are. If they do or they don't, will or they won't, can or they can't doesn't matter anymore because you do, will, and can for yourself. When you take the focus off everyone else and put it on you, truly you will be exalted.
“For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled,
and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Luke 14:11 NIV