Where in your life have you placed the approval of men over the pleasing of God?

 

READ: 12:37-43

 

John 12:42-43

Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not openly acknowledge their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved human praise more than praise from God. (NIV)

 

 

• Many of the Jewish leaders believed in Him – community leaders
• Because of fear they would not confess their faith
• They loved the praise of men far too much

APPLICATION:

• We should not allow fear to hold us back from proclaiming our faith
• We should not desire praise from men
• We should only seek to please God
• Don’t be a people pleaser

 

I remember as a young man wanting so much to impress my friends and being so worried about what they thought about me. I was so concerned about what they thought about me that I did and said things that I wouldn’t have normally done. I remember one day we were all at the beach in San Diego. It was a great day! We had spent the morning snorkeling and exploring under the waters of La Jolla. Afterwards we saw some other people near us cliff jumping. Us four guys were standing there egging one another on to jump off this 30-foot cliff called “the Clam”. They were all in front of me looking over the edge, and with their attention drawn away I took off my shirt and shoes and then proceeded to run and jump off of the cliff. My very first thought was, “What in the world did I just do?”. After falling for what seemed like forever, I finally hit the water. It was exhilarating, but totally out of character for me. After climbing back up the cliff they were all commenting that they couldn’t believe what I had just done. Neither could I!

 

It is amazing the things we will do to impress others or to get others to like us. For many of us we think that this is a thing of the past; only young people do that. But the reality is, many of us are still guilty of wanting others to notice us or even to praise our accomplishments.

 

In this passage we can see that this is not a new problem. These community leaders who had placed their faith in Jesus were more concerned about their reputation and their success, then they were of what God thought of them.

 

Warren Wiersbe addressed this passage in his commentary. He said, “In the early church, there were numbers of Pharisees (Acts 15:5) and even priests who believed(Acts 6:7). It was the old struggle between the glory of God and the praise of men (John 12:25–26). It was a costly thing to be excommunicated (John 9:22), and these “secret believers” wanted the best of both worlds.”[i]

 

We are guilty of wanting the best of both worlds. We want what this world has to offer and what heaven offers. We want to hear and feel that God is pleased, but boy it sure feels good when someone credits us for a job well done. But what happens when no one notices or when they do notice they scoff or call us a religious nut?

 

In Romans 10, Paul tells his readers, “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As Scripture says, ‘Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.’” (Rom. 10:9-11)[ii]

 

Where in your life have you placed the approval of men over the pleasing of God? It is a struggle that we all face. Do I openly declare my faith in Jesus or do I keep my mouth shut?

 

One of my hearts desires is to one day hear my Father say, “Well done, my good and faithful servant. I am proud of you.” This should be your desire as well. Strive to follow Him boldly wherever He may lead, and don’t worry about what others might say. After all, it really doesn’t matter in the end.

 

Ask God to show you where you have fallen short when it comes to seeking others approval. Ask Him to give you the courage to live a life that is pleasing to Him, and Him alone.

 

 

Each week’s Monday Motivation is taken from the reading schedule found in the Life Journal. If you are ready for the next step in your discipleship, then order yours today or see me for a copy.

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If you would like help in growing in your faith, or if you would like to know how to have faith in Him, then please contact us at (928)636-2949 or email me at pastorguy@cvgrace.com

 

 

 

 

[i] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 343). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

[ii] The New International Version. (2011). (Ro 10:9–11). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.