No More than Pebbles
I enjoy being liked. I want people to like me. I think we all could say that. Or, as Michael Scott said:
I’m not sure there’s anything wrong with wanting to be liked. We should want people to enjoy our company, to delight in our presence, to want to listen to us. Of course, the Bible tells us we ought to have a good reputation, that we should be above reproach. (Yes, that’s specifically about elders, but all Christians should strive to meet those qualifications simply as a follower of Christ.)
But there is obviously a hard, biblical line to all of this. We don’t want to be people-pleasers. We don’t want to value the approval of the world over the approval of God. Galatians 1:9-10 reads,
For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.
Our goal, our intention, our desire should be to please God. We should not concern ourselves with the approval of man. The Valley of Vision speaks to this as well,
In the light of thy preciousness, the world and all its enjoyments are infinitely poor; I value the favour of men no more than pebbles.
We should value the approval of the world “no more than pebbles” when compared to the extravagancy of the glory of God. Nothing compares to the Lord. Nothing comes close. And yet, time and time again we find ourselves, intentionally or not, looking for the approval of our fellow men. We want the attention, the praise, the adoration, the respect. And, again, biblically it’s good to have respect and to have a good reputation with others. That brings God glory. But that’s not what we’re talking about.
When we set our eyes on the glory of Christ, the fear of man—or the need to receive man’s graces and approval—melts away. We don’t feel the itch for it. We don’t sense the need to obtain it. We simply don’t care, even if it costs us something. Not caring about receiving the world’s approval doesn’t mean we neglect our attitude, behavior, and speech around them. Christians still need to strive for a Christlike walk in the midst of the culture. Our apathy for the world’s acceptance doesn’t mean we forget about treating them as people made in the image of God.
It just means we let their words, their insults, their disapproval go in one ear and out the other. We don’t strive to gain their acceptance by comprising our positions or changing our beliefs.
And that’s where God wants us to be. Let’s strive for the Lord’s approval, not man’s.
“We don’t strive to gain their acceptance by comprising our positions or changing our beliefs.”
Very well said!