For they loved the glory that is of men more than the glory that is of God.
John 12:43 (ASV)
Have you ever known an “elbow rubber”? Someone who seeks the praise of men… not the praise of just any man (or woman) but the praise of men and women who can “get you somewhere”. They ride the coattails of others, they seek those in life because they see an advantage. I think we all know someone like that. I am not here to down or degrade that kind of person, I am only looking to help us all understand more about seeking the praise of men. The praise of men means that we care what others think about us. It also means that we might ignore the person in rags on the front row, yet offer all of our attention to those who come in looking “shiny”.
Why do we seek after power, influence, and those who seem to have it all? Pastors who seem to have it all together, we long to meet with them after church just to get a word. The wealthy, the influential, the powerful, some folks are drawn to them like moths to a light. Why? Usually because we have an empty place in our hearts where we feel inadequate and insecure, and we seek the importance of others to make us feel important. Truly, if we could look in our hearts, we might find that we seek the praise of men to help us to feel more important. As if having a seat at the Kingdom table is not enough.
We as people long to be important. We look at the wealthy, the infamous, the popular, the powerful and we long to have a piece of the pie. It is almost as if we can become better just by rubbing elbows with those who seem to have it all. Notice I said seem. Those with an empty heart – one that does not know it’s own worth, will spend a lifetime chasing the wind. Looking for something that never truly satisfies and something that only leads to a craving for more of the same – a false, unsatisfying grazing at the table of empty praise and shallow words. It only satisfies for a moment because truly there are not lasting morsels to soothe our hungry soul. Only the longing for more fleeting moments of importance or glimpses of power. It all fades and does not satisfy.
Some even change their entire journey in life just to be found important and to “hang” with the important people! I believe this makes the Father so sad. It also replaces the genuine praise in our hearts for Him, with the fake praise of men. He becomes second, the rich and famous become first, and yet truly the God of this universe, the one who holds it all in His hands gets nothing. Sometimes, at best sloppy seconds, is the only thing that reaches our Father's ears. Please understand, I have not fully arrived, but as I began to come out of sexual brokenness and pain, I realized that true praise - from my lips to God's ears, began to free me from the enemy. If you struggle against any besetting sin today beloved, praise, pray, and shout to the Lord! He will free you and you will begin to see the chains so tightly binding you fall away. Praise of men or Praise of the One true God. Which matters the most to you? Choose the one that truly frees and truly satisfies!
We as people long to be important. We look at the wealthy, the infamous, the popular, the powerful and we long to have a piece of the pie. It is almost as if we can become better just by rubbing elbows with those who seem to have it all. Notice I said seem. Those with an empty heart – one that does not know it’s own worth, will spend a lifetime chasing the wind. Looking for something that never truly satisfies and something that only leads to a craving for more of the same – a false, unsatisfying grazing at the table of empty praise and shallow words. It only satisfies for a moment because truly there are not lasting morsels to soothe our hungry soul. Only the longing for more fleeting moments of importance or glimpses of power. It all fades and does not satisfy.
Some even change their entire journey in life just to be found important and to “hang” with the important people! I believe this makes the Father so sad. It also replaces the genuine praise in our hearts for Him, with the fake praise of men. He becomes second, the rich and famous become first, and yet truly the God of this universe, the one who holds it all in His hands gets nothing. Sometimes, at best sloppy seconds, is the only thing that reaches our Father's ears. Please understand, I have not fully arrived, but as I began to come out of sexual brokenness and pain, I realized that true praise - from my lips to God's ears, began to free me from the enemy. If you struggle against any besetting sin today beloved, praise, pray, and shout to the Lord! He will free you and you will begin to see the chains so tightly binding you fall away. Praise of men or Praise of the One true God. Which matters the most to you? Choose the one that truly frees and truly satisfies!