The Praise of Man: What will people think?

Have you ever heard the question "What will people think?" or something to that effect. Do we strive to receive praise from God or man? We consume ourselves with what other people think about us yet give little thought to what God thinks. This is because we want the approval of man and not God. It is hard to have a backbone in a godless age where false accusations run rampant. The truth is that the Apostle Paul dealt with the same thing, for his 2nd letter to the Corinthians is dealing with just that. There is nothing new under sun.

Our response flows from our heart. We are not to be fake on the hand, yet we are not to act rudely on the other. Blessing those that curse us and who make false accusations about us is quite difficult. Every fiber of our being wants to lash out, yet we must let the strength of the Lord keep us calm. For many years, I always gave a retort when falsely accused, yet now I leave room for the vengeance of God, for He will always enact a better judgment than I could ever conjure up.

As painful as such gossip may be, in time you really find out who is trustworthy and who is not. You begin to notice who has your back and who doesn't. At times, those who become the most trustworthy are those that you may even once had a serious beef with before. I have seen this is on my own life. Biblically, we are not to be doormats but rather confront those with whom we have a difficulty with. When both sides acknowledge their sin, then an incredible reconciliation occurs to the point where both people think highly of each other and become true friends and/or comrades.

Some refuse to admit their sin, and reconciliation becomes bleak, yet we must not harbor bitterness towards such people. That does not mean we have to act as if we have not been wronged, and it does not mean that we are to regard the person with a high level of trust. However, we are to still love the person, which means that we are willing to come to their aid should aid be needed. In doing so, we heap burning coals upon their head (Rom 12). I have been on both ends of that as the Lord's vengeance is given. Verily, it is far better to repent and seek reconciliation if at all possible, for it is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the Living God when we live with bitterness and resentment! Amen!