By Juliane Wiebracht
“For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.” Galatians 1:10 ESV
Some time ago, I sat with a woman as she poured out her heart to me. She was in a vulnerable place but had been wandering from the Lord for quite a while. I felt like I should say something. The feeling was so strong I could hardly bear it. However, the risk to my relationship with her was great and I cowered at the thought of how she might respond, even to a timid mention of her sin. I battled in my mind as she spoke, convincing myself that the Holy Spirit had to give me more clarity before I could say anything. The moment came and left. I said nothing of significance and the memory still pains me. Now I realize what an incredible unkindness it was to remain silent. My sin of omission was akin to standing aside and allowing her to walk unchecked towards more misery and regret. As beautifully summed up in the words of Dietrish Bonhoeffer, “Nothing can be more cruel than the tenderness that consigns another to his sin. Nothing can be more compassionate than the severe rebuke that calls a brother back from the path of sin.”
Why do I do that? Remain silent when I should speak and speak when I often should remain silent? Because I fear the opinions of people. I long for them to think highly of me. Respect me. Admire me. I hate that about my human nature and pray for God to rip it out of me. I see how the fear of man dilutes my fear of God. And even when I do surrender (just enough to obey God) my desire to please others then drives me to defend, explain and persuade, so they will agree with my choices. If I have done as God has asked, is His approval not enough for me? Unfortunately, usually the answer to that question is “No”.
However, when Jesus walked this earth, tempted just as we are, He refused to invest His self-image in the fickle opinions of mankind. It says in John: “Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing. But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.” John 2:23-25 NIV
What a beautiful example Jesus set by obeying His Father without entrusting Himself to the fickle unreliable support of human beings. So what is the solution? How can I tear out this vice from my soul? How can I cast away the shallow opinion of man to pursue the holy purposes of God? I have not figured it out. But I do believe it starts with a repentant heart and a plea for God to transform me. He is faithful to do in me what I cannot do for myself.
“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith,” Hebrews 12:2a NIV
