Let another man praise you, and not your own mouth;
A stranger, and not your own lips.
Solomon. Proverbs 27:2. Hi, it’s Nathan, and this is Day 31, a bonus day, in our 30 Days of Wisdom devotional series. ‘Don’t toot your own horn’ Yeah, it’s an old saying, but I think it captures the idea of what Solomon had in mind. Today’s culture is a cacophony of horn-blowing—much of it splashed across social media, and I’m as guilty as the next person. I love getting attention for something I post online. I like it a little too much. Solomon isn’t saying it’s bad to like work you’ve done, or enjoy successes you’ve had—but don’t go around chatting yourself up. Be grateful. Enjoy. But let others do the talking. Spend your time looking for ways to be the stranger who praises another—the person who helps a friend discover a hidden talent. Build others up, make them better, honor them with your praise, your genuine affirmation—and practice forgetting how great you are, how immensely valuable your contribution is. Let others do the praising.
