Philippians 2:3-4 [Let] nothing [be done] through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. 4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
Trying to impress others is not something new. Through the ages, people have tried to impress others with their money, their jobs, good looks, nice clothing, or even their intelligence. But why? Do you think it’s just so that they can feel better about themselves? That’s what I think. When I was in high school, I so wanted to be a cheerleader but the “popular” girls always made fun of me because I was so skinny. I had absolutely no chance of making the cheerleading squad. I tried to dress the way they did – I tried to talk the way they did – but nothing I did made them like me any more or less than they already did. I wasn’t saved so I didn’t have the Lord to lean or even a Bible to read.
Now that I am older, I look back to those days and I know now why I wanted so badly to be accepted by those girls. I figured out that the root (the bottom line) of this desire was pride. Teenagers want to be accepted by the “popular” kids in school. Do you think they want to be accepted because it makes them feel good about themselves? I think that’s part of the reason. Everyone wants others to think good of them. No one likes being hated or disliked. But being disliked is a fact of life. There’s no way that you can make everyone like you 100% of the time. That’s impossible. There will always be someone out there who will hate the fact that you are a Christian or for some other reason.
Wanting other’s positive reaction toward us because it makes us feel good is the sin of pride and is not something that God likes according to the Scriptures. I’m not talking about taking pride in one’s chores here. I’m talking about the sin of pride that causes us to think that we are more or better than we really are. When you stop to think about it, we should be concerned with what God thinks about us. In God’s eyes, we are all sinners. As born-again children of God, we are all the same in His eyes.
1 Samuel 16:7 But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for [the LORD seeth] not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.
God sees the heart and there is not one person who is better than the other.
~Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
There were people who had this problem in Jesus’ day as well. As I told you before, this is not a “new thing.” The Pharisees in Jesus’ day did things in public so that people would take notice of them and see how “holy” they were. But holy was the last thing they were.
~Matthew 23:5 But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,
The Pharisees did things so that the people who saw them would think they were holy. That is a good picture of the sin of pride. It was also lies, wasn’t it? They were trying to be better than they really were!
So teenager, are you trying to impress the kids in your school? Why? So you can feel good about yourself? So you can say that everyone likes you? So you can feel accepted? Although that is a common problem in everyone’s life, the Bible teaches us that we should desire what the Lord thinks about us and not the world.
~John 15:19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
Being a born-again child of God means that you are not to be part of this world. You can’t be a Christian only on Sundays and Wednesday nights. If you are truly a child of God, you will have a desire to be like Him and to do the things which please Him. God doesn’t want us living “like” the world – He wants us to be different. We shouldn’t be cussing, dressing to attract attention to our bodies, talking like the world, etc. The Lord wants us to be different so that people will want what we have: salvation and a relationship with Him!
So what do you do when you want everyone to like you? Tell God about it – pour your feelings out to Him. Then trust Him. He will help you through these times like these. Read the three verses below and memorize them. These three verses helped me so much when I first got saved as a young adult. When people at work were cruel to me, I told the Lord about it and how much it hurt my feelings. I didn’t understand why God was allowing me to go through these hard times but I knew that He would never do anything to hurt me. God doesn’t want me to think highly of myself but to trust Him and think highly of HIM
Proverbs 3:5-7 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. 7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.
Thought you might like this. I wanted to do something a little different today for my devotion time so I read this one. I hope you like it!
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