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Who Matters Most?
by Dr. Paul Chappell
“Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known. What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops. And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”
Matthew 10:26–28
I read about a young military recruit who was marching with his unit in a parade. When they stopped and were supposed to be standing at attention, he started waving to the watching crowd. A drill sergeant quickly appeared and told him, “Jones, don’t ever do that again!” But a few moments later the private was waving again. When the unit finished their march, the livid sergeant began to yell and scream at young Jones. He described the vital importance of maintaining discipline and following orders. He explained in detail all the ways in which he could make the young soldier’s life miserable. Finally he asked, “Jones, don’t you know what I can do to you?” “Oh yes sir,” Jones replied, “But you don’t know what my mother can do to me!”
There are churches and Christians who determine what is right and wrong based on the opinions of others. Rather than first studying God’s Word and then proclaiming it’s truth, they first study what people want and try to fit cultural ideals into Scripture. They abandon truth to avoid criticism.
Such actions indicate a misplaced fear. Rather than fearing the opinions of men whose judgment is corrupted by sin, we should fear the righteous evaluation of a high and holy God, and order our lives accordingly. The disapproval of those around us matters little if God is pleased by our actions. His watchful eyes should always be kept in mind as we go about our daily lives, and we should seek His approval above all else.
Matthew 10:26–28
I read about a young military recruit who was marching with his unit in a parade. When they stopped and were supposed to be standing at attention, he started waving to the watching crowd. A drill sergeant quickly appeared and told him, “Jones, don’t ever do that again!” But a few moments later the private was waving again. When the unit finished their march, the livid sergeant began to yell and scream at young Jones. He described the vital importance of maintaining discipline and following orders. He explained in detail all the ways in which he could make the young soldier’s life miserable. Finally he asked, “Jones, don’t you know what I can do to you?” “Oh yes sir,” Jones replied, “But you don’t know what my mother can do to me!”
There are churches and Christians who determine what is right and wrong based on the opinions of others. Rather than first studying God’s Word and then proclaiming it’s truth, they first study what people want and try to fit cultural ideals into Scripture. They abandon truth to avoid criticism.
Such actions indicate a misplaced fear. Rather than fearing the opinions of men whose judgment is corrupted by sin, we should fear the righteous evaluation of a high and holy God, and order our lives accordingly. The disapproval of those around us matters little if God is pleased by our actions. His watchful eyes should always be kept in mind as we go about our daily lives, and we should seek His approval above all else.
Today’s Growth Principle:
We need a renewed sense of the awesome holiness of God and His hatred for sin in our lives.
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