Prayer
Briefly prepare your heart in silence, and ask the Holy Spirit to awaken your sense of anticipation that God is about to speak to you through His Word. Then, before you read, I invite you to pray this prayer based on Psalm 29:1-2
Lord, I acknowledge Your glory –
Your glory and power –
I worship You, Lord, in the splendour of Your holiness.
Amen.
Reading
Here we have Jesus re-stating a principle that He has returned to time and time again in the Gospels; viz. that one’s highest goal/priority determines the course of one’s life. Often, over the course of this year, we’ve reflected on the fact that our highest priority ought to be living to please God and not ourselves. Today Jesus makes the same point in different words. He says,
How can you believe since you accept glory from one another but do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?
Living our lives in pursuit of the applause, affirmation or acceptance of other people will always inhibit our Christian discipleship. Living by that people-centred priority will prevent us from following the Way of Jesus whenever it leads us in an unpopular direction.
As Charles Spurgeon once said in a sermon:
(M)any live on the breath of their fellow men; to be approved — to be applauded — that is their heaven; but to be despised, to be sneered at, to be called fool, to have some nickname applied to them; oh no, they would sooner go to hell than bear that. *
Instead, a Christian disciple should aim to live in a way that is pleasing to God. We should live to hear those glorious words of affirmation, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” (Matthew 25:21). I think this is what Jesus meant by receiving glory from God.
How much does the opinion of the “crowd” (i.e. people like your family, friends, and co-workers) influence or even control your response to Jesus?
Remember, the Lord’s approval and His joy over our lives should be our highest objective, and it is worth infinitely more than any human approval.
Contemplation
Please take time to ponder what Jesus has commanded us. Turn this declaration over and over in your mind. Keep it in mind throughout the day and live in step with Your King, Jesus.
As a disciple of Jesus Christ:
- I will strive to please the LORD in all things.
Lord, grant me the courage to live for Your pleasure, even when that make me hugely unpopular at a human level. Amen.
Leave a comment