4.29.18 Praise & Prayer Prompt: What Others Think of Us

PRAISE & PRAYER PROMPT ••• The book of Judges outlines the 480-year vicious cycle of how the Israelites turned their back on God, worshiped idols, got in trouble, called out to God for help, and God rescued them again and again.
While it’s not an excuse to go out and sin over and over because you know God will forgive, it’s a good example of God’s incredible grace and compassion.
But the part I want to focus on today comes from Judges 9.
Abimelech was the son of Gideon and he murdered his 70 brothers and became the king of Shechem.
Three years into his reign, the people of Shechem revolted.
There was a battle.
Then, in Judges 9:50, Abimelech attacked a town called Thebez.
The people barricaded themselves in a strong tower and as Abimelech was preparing to set fire to it, one of the women on the roof dropped a millstone on his head and cracked his skull.
In verse 54b, Abimelech said, “Draw your sword and kill me! Don’t let it be said that a woman killed Abimelech!”
Seriously?
You’ve just had your skull cracked, you’re dying, and you’re more worried that people would gossip that a woman killed you instead of a man???
Good grief.
The lesson I see here though isn’t rooted in a gender war.
I’m not an advocate for all this politically-correct gender-neutral stuff.
But instead, I see this as a lesson in priorities.
We get so hung up on what others say about us and what they think…
Do they like us?
Do they think we’re smart?
We worry about what people we don’t even like think about us!
Here’s a little secret that it took me a long time to learn—it’s none of your business what anyone else thinks about you.
The only opinion we should ever worry about is God’s opinion!
In Colossians 3:2 NLT, it says, “Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.”
And in Galatians 1:10, it says, “Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant.”
Being focused on what others think or say about us just distracts us from the bigger picture—God’s plan.
For those who are celebrating with Jesus right now, do you think they care what so-and-so thought about them before they died?
Or on the flip side, those who didn’t accept Christ and are in hell… the least of their concerns is who said what about them.
But I am certain they wish they’d sought the approval of God in their lifetime.
Everything in our life is temporary.
God is eternal.
Today, as you pray, praise God for His grace and forgiveness when we come to Him with a repentant heart.
Pray that the Holy Spirit will help you focus on pleasing God and not worry about what others say or do.
Pray that you will keep your eyes on Jesus.