Luke 6:26 Seek God’s Approval, Not Man’s
“There’s trouble ahead when you live only for the approval of others, saying what flatters them, doing what indulges them. Popularity contests are not truth contests—look how many scoundrel preachers were approved by your ancestors! Your task is to be true, not popular” (MSG).
When we flatter people, we are appreciated by them—not necessarily approved by God. Often to gain people’s approval we have to say things that may not be entirely true. That popularity lasts only until someone else says something more flattering. Then to regain our popularity we need to top their statements. Somewhere along the line of topping others, the truth often gets lost, and we find ourselves speaking things we never intended. Trapped in our own exaggerations, we may well go on to further untruths that will be very hard to substantiate. Truth telling may not make us popular, but we don’t have to apologize for telling the truth.
God appreciates those who are truth-tellers, and He will personally let them know it when they arrive in Heaven. I can imagine that His words will be, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” For those who tell the truth, it will be a great feeling to be known in Heaven as someone God could trust with the truth. To hear those words from Jesus is worth infinitely more than hearing the praises of our friends and acquaintance on earth. One of the reasons it will be worth infinitely more is that those words will apply for eternity.
Lord, help me to remain true to You, help me to be a truth-teller, help me to speak often of your love.