The Folly of Trying to Please Men
OK, I admit it....I like to be liked. I want to be respected. It feels good when I get compliments or a pat on the back. But even more than that, I hate being disliked. I fight a daily battle with the urge to please other people, to avoid conflict and just make everyone happy.
Not exactly the ideal profile of an evangelist, is it?
Fortunately, God is helping me learn that pleasing Him is more important than pleasing men. After all, Jesus said promised that those who follow Him would face persecution and rejection (John 15:19; Matt. 5:11; 2 Tim. 3:12). Some Christians seem to think that means seeking out ridicule and rejection just to prove how holy we are. That's not what I'm talking about at all. The Bible tells us to win the respect of outsiders and treat them with gentleness and respect (1 Thess, 4:12; 1 Tim. 3:7; 1 Pet 3:15). So there must be a holy balance somewhere between the two.
Nevertheless, for the Christian (and especially for the evangelist) rejection is inevitable. Which is why I'm so grateful for this article by Puritan Richard Baxter entitled The Folly of Trying to Please Men (posted by Steve Camp on his blog). It lists 22 reasons why trying to please others is foolish. If you desire to share the Gospel, sooner or later (probably sooner) you'll face rejection. Reading Baxter's words will go a long way towards encouraging you when that happens.
posted by Cedricstudio at 10:42 AM
1 Comments:
It's been years since I read any Baxter. This need to always please people is really a deep issue for many Christians, not just in the area of evangelism. So many people are bound by this need that they fail to do the things that God has put in their hearts to do and to be. The ironic part is that what people really find attractive are people who aren't trying to be something that they are not. So I have to agree, feeling like you need to please folks is folley indeed. And someone who isn't pleased with who you become when you follow the God dreams within you is simply not worth trying to please.
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