The opinions of man can control and devastate us. Spiritual
growth requires us to be free from them so that we can serve God boldly, but
how?
Firstly, we need to be made conscious of our addiction and
captivity to the esteem of others, about which the Bible warns us:
- The fear of man brings a snare, But whoever trusts in the LORD shall be safe. (Proverbs 29:25 NKJV)
To be controlled by what people think of us is prison. To be
controlled by the knowledge of Christ’s love for us gives us the freedom to
venture forth and to endure the risks of rejection and failure.
However, if we pursue the esteem of men, we will miss out on
what is most important. Jesus had charged the religious leadership with being
more concerned about the opinions of men than of God:
- “How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God?” (John 5:44)
We settle for second best if we overly esteem man’s
thoughts. In contrast, Jesus taught that His truth will free us:
- Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:31-32)
How would Jesus’ truth set us free from what people think
about us? For one thing, it teaches us that our true identity is buried in
Christ:
- I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)
Scripture warns us that the opinions of man are without
substance
- For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their own craftiness”; and again, “The LORD knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile” [Psalm 94:11]. (I Corinthians 3:19-20)
If this is so, then we shouldn’t be so concerned about the
opinions of man. This is especially true in regards to those who do not have
the Spirit:
- But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. (I Corinthians 2:14-15)
Even the spiritual are very limited in their ability to
judge one another. In either case, it is difficult to protect ourselves from
the thoughts and words of others.
For example, a highly respected department chairman told me
that she thought that I’d have problems wherever I’d work. I was devastated,
especially since I thought she had a high regard for me and also since there
was no higher standard of opinion to which I could resort to reassure me that I
had some worth.
However, now I do have a higher standard, an absolute
standard, God’s thoughts about me. King David therefore proclaimed:
- How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; When I awake, I am still with You. (Psalms 139:17-18)
But what are God’s thoughts towards us? We are assured that
He loves us with a love that transcends our ability to understand its depths.
Paul therefore prayed that we would:
- ...know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:19)
When we are able to fathom the depths of His love that He
shed forth upon us when we were even His enemies (Romans 5:8-10), the opinions
of man wilt in comparison.
However, God created us sensitive social people who, by
design, care about others’ opinions. Therefore, we still hurt and fear
rejection. However, we now have a Place to hide and find comfort.
I am not able to take His love for granted. Each day compels
me to bury my hurt in the truth of His love.
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