By
Allen White
To what can I compare this generation? They
are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others:
“‘We
played the pipe for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did
not mourn.”
For John came neither eating nor drinking,
and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and
they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and
sinners.’ But wisdom is proved right by her deeds.”
Matthew 11:16-19
You can please some of the people some
of the time, but you can’t please all of the people all of the time. You’ll
kill yourself trying.
John lived a very conservative life. He
owned practically nothing. No one could accuse John of getting rich off of
this. He observed a strict lifestyle. Nothing about his food or beverage could
offend anyone. He played by the religious rules. The religious leaders still
rejected him.
John didn’t fit into their mold. He
wasn’t one of them. Membership in the religious club was more important in
their book than a genuine relationship with God. Talk about backwards living.
Jesus came with less restraint. He ate
and drank with sinners. No one could accuse Jesus of unholy living. He never
sinned. There was nothing unholy about Him. The religious leaders didn’t like
Jesus either.
John lived life on the straight and
narrow. He was called a demon. Jesus lived an open and generous life. He was
called a glutton, a drunkard, and a friend of sinners. We sing about Jesus
being a friend of sinners. I haven’t heard any songs involving the other
accusations.
John and Jesus had one thing in common
– they both lived for an audience of One. Regardless of what the religious
authorities thought or other people thought or even their families thought,
they lived their lives with a laser focus on what God thought.
Whose opinion matters to you? Whose
words do you take to heart? Whose approval are you seeking? Whose criticism are
you trying to avoid? Spouses, children, parents, bosses, friends, neighbors,
pastors, bloggers, church members, and people we don’t even know have an effect
on us. But, whose opinion matters the most to you?
If we live to please other people, more
often than not, we fail to please God. But, if we live to please God, we have a
much better chance of pleasing others. We also have a chance at displeasing
those who don’t belong to God.
I’m not saying that you should give up
your job and responsibilities to pursue God full-time. What I’m saying is that
in your job and your responsibilities pursue God full-time. Let Jesus live His
life through you in your workplace, your home, your neighborhood, your online
life, and everywhere else you go.
God is not asking you to add a huge
spiritual component to your life. You don’t need one more thing to juggle. God
wants you to integrate your faith into everything you do.
A marriage that pleases God will also
please your spouse. Parenting that pleases God will also guide your children.
Serving that pleases God will also benefit His Church. A work ethic that honors
God will also suit your boss. You get the picture.
What’s the next step for you?
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