...and can ULTIMATELY destroy our walk with Jesus and what He wants to do in us.
I know that is a huge statement…but it’s true!
In my nearly 20 years of ministry (and almost 38 of life) I have seen these questions change people for the worse…heck…they’ve changed me for the worse many times…
They are…
#1 - What will people say about me?
#2 - What will people think about me?
Yep…being obsessed with what others say and think is one of the quickest ways to take our eyes off of Jesus!
Paul wrote in Galatians 1:10 that if we are trying to please others then we can’t be Jesus’ servant. And…we’re either serving “them” or serving “Him!”
Proverbs 29:25 says that fear of man is a snare…something that captures us (usually for the purpose of eventually destroying us!)
As followers of Jesus our mind and heart must be fixed on Him (Colossians 3:1-2)...which ISN’T EASY because so many times the voice of the crowd seems to trump the voice of Christ.
Truth be known…ALL of us want people to like us!
ALL of us want people to say nice things about us!
ALL of us want people, when they think of us, to have nice thoughts!
I would dare say that NO ONE woke up today thinking, “I REALLY hope people hate me today!”
And I would say there is nothing wrong with the things listed above…UNLESS we allow them to interfere with what Jesus wants for our lives.
When we trade in being obedient to Jesus for being liked by others…we break the first two commands and are on a pretty good pace to shatter the next eight!
I am praying personally that the question that will dominate my life is, “What now Jesus…” and when He answers that I will recklessly pursue all that He wants for me with no regards for anything except for pleasing Him!!! I am not there yet…but it is what I am striving for…and the closer I get the more freedom I feel to live and lead as He has called me to!!!