A Nugget from New Life Network
Scripture for the Day (April 13, 2017)
For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ. (Galatians 1:10)
One of the most dangerous and deceptive things we can face when trying to please God is trying to please man at the same time. None of us are exempt from our carnal feelings of wanting to be liked and respected. Our flesh does not like rejection and ridicule. However, when it comes to serving God, we must mature to a point where our respect for God far outweighs our respect for man. That does not mean you have to become a spiritual flame thrower that intentionally offends everybody but it does mean everyone is not going to like or agree with what you do or say, especially if God told you to say it or do it.
For example, I spend an average of about three hours per day writing these daily devotionals. That time includes studying the Word of God and praying. Inevitably, when I write something on certain topics (like sin), that I feel God has spoken to me about, several people will unsubscribe from our devotional email list. I can almost predict it before it even happens. Now, I could get upset about that, or even worse I could change my devotionals to deal with just the topics that I know would sooth the ears of every reader, but my Bible warns me against that.
For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine and accurate instruction [that challenges them with God’s truth]; but wanting to have their ears tickled [with something pleasing], they will accumulate for themselves [many] teachers [one after another, chosen] to satisfy their own desires and to support the errors they hold, (2 Timothy 4:3, Amplified Bible)
This is where we Christians get into trouble! We have entire Christian denominations that do this very thing. They are so afraid that they might offend someone that they avoid entire portions of the Bible. At some point, we have to learn to honor God and His entire Word more than we honor man and not be moved by what people think or say. Consider the following scriptures:
The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe. (Proverbs 29:25)
But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts. (1 Thessalonians 2:4)
We need to be more interested in what God thinks about what we say than what people think or say. Are our words solidly backed up by His Word? Do our words portray His heart? Do our words adequately say what we hear Him saying? He is the one that we should be striving to please and if rejection comes from that, then so be it. You can’t get any better than Jesus, who was the Word made flesh, and they rejected Him. In my opinion, the more we look, act, and talk like Jesus, the more we will experience rejection. As a writer and minister I have to fight it on my end every day and as a follower of Christ you should fight it on your end also. We need to be unafraid to hear and speak the full Gospel, even the uncomfortable parts.
And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter
and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard. (Acts 4:18-20)
Be Strong!!! Be Courageous!!! Be Bold!!!
