Other People's Opinions And Obeying God

I hate to admit it but I am often too concerned with the opinions of others.  So, the following challenge is for me as much as anyone else who may be reading this.  

Challenge: Be more concerned with pleasing God and being obedient to Him than with trying to please people.  (After all, we can never keep all the people in our lives pleased, anyhow.)  God’s opinion is what ultimately matters.  His opinion infinitely outweighs everyone else’s opinion!

Adjusting To God's Will

Obedience involves having this kind of attitude toward God:  “If we come to some point in my life where your commands, Lord, lead one way but my inclinations and desires actually lead another way.  I will adjust to you.  I will not try to rationalize or deceive myself into believing that you need to come over to my way of thinking.”

Obedience To God, Not The Expecatations of Others

Sometimes we find that other people have scripts for our lives.  Their scripts may be good or bad; they may be well-meaning or they may be motivated by their own self-interest.  I’ve often been far too influenced by the expectations [or demands] of others.  But it’s helpful for us to remember that the point of our lives is not to live up to other people’s scripts, it is to be obedient to God’s call.

God Always Makes Obedience Possible

When God tells us what to do He always makes it possible to be obedient.  Admittedly, there may be times when obedience represents a very significant challenge, but with the help of the Holy Spirit, God always ensures that obedience is POSSIBLE.  (Okay, it was pretty darned easy to write this comment.  Now, with God’s help, I’m going to try to live it.)   J