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John 12: 43 For they loved praise
from men more than praise from God. (NIV)
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“I am not who I think I am. I am not who you think I am. I am who I think you think I am.” . . . Right or wrong, we define ourselves through other people’s eyes.* |
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In this verse, John is referring specifically
to the Jewish leaders who were so fearful of losing their place in society that
they refused to confess that they believed in Jesus. They allowed public
opinion to dictate – and destroy – their lives. But couldn’t John’s
condemnation also apply to us? How often are our actions determined by what we
imagine others might think of us?
We might ask ourselves, though: is it
completely wrong to care what other people think? I don’t know of any specific
scripture that addresses the question but I think we can look at the life of
Jesus and gather some insight into how much he cared about public opinion. And
we would determine that he cared very little about it. At the same time, we see
that while his actions were not driven by concern for being popular with the
populace, he cared deeply for the public as individuals. And by his example we
gather that caring for others requires some level of caring for their feelings
and opinions.
Observe Jesus demonstrating his disdain for
traditions, hypocrisy, and lack of charity. There is no doubt how he feels
about behavior of that nature. Yet, he showed us that it is possible to deliver a stinging rebuke without
belittling the person. His harshest words were saved for those with the
thickest skin – the self-righteous religious leaders. With everyone else, he
customized his delivery according to his audience. But he never diluted the
truth out of fear of the public’s opinion.
If we want to be like Jesus, we should learn
to speak the truth boldly and with love. And while we must not let public
opinion deter us from our duty, we should be determined never to allow our zeal
for duty to blind us to our need for kindness.
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Jesus calls us to engage the world in spiritual battle, not retreat from it in fear.* |
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