For quite some time now, I have has some unrest deep down in my soul. I just figured that it was all going to be okay, that it would pass like an afternoon breeze on a warm summer day often does. But it didn’t and it hasn’t…….
Why am I always comparing myself to others? Why do I listen to the lies that enemy whispers into my ears? Why do I continue to seek the approval of man over the approval of God? Why do I revert back to wanting to fit in instead of stand out like I’ve been called to do? These are all questions I find myself reflecting on this early evening. I’m not going to lie, this is a lonely place to be. I want to know why I keep falling back into the trap of discontentment?
This happens often. It’s the fight to stay humble, the fight to keep your eyes on the real prize. The test to see where your heart really is at and the lesson that everyone needs to pass at least once in their lifetime. The sin is in wanting all the glory to be on you and in seeking the approval of man rather than the approval of God. We lose our perspective and ourselves in the process.
Billy Graham once wrote “Popularity and praise can be far more dangerous for the Christian than persecution. They can turn us away from God without our even being aware of it, making us like those in Jesus’ day who loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.” (John 12:43)
Reading John 12:43 causes a gut check, a heart check and most importantly a call to repentance. Admitting that you have desired glory for yourself and that you have looked for love and approval in all the wrong places is a start in the healing process. It’s a step in the right direction.
Emily Freeman wrote in her book Simply Tuesday that “the soul was not meant for fame.” She is correct. Our soul cannot handle the glory that was only meant for God alone! If you find yourself in this place, ask the Lord to keep you from worrying about what others think. Ask Him to help you keep your motives pure. Picture yourself as John the Baptist, always pointing others to Jesus. He knew like Emily and Billy Graham already do, glory is only fit for the King. The weight of it is too heavy to carry by ourselves. God’s glory matters, man wanting God’s glory does not.
I have learned in whatever state I am, be content…….Philippians 4:11
Humbled to learn this yet again,
~Misty~
#John12:43 #ToGodBeTheGlory #Perspective #Humility