Stay In The Race
May 2
Fear of men will prove to be a snare.
Proverbs 29:25
Speaking in regard to some friends who didn’t believe as he did, Andrew began, “I was constantly arguing with them, trying to validate my position. I even showed them scripture to back it up. Didn’t matter…they weren’t listening.”
He continued, “I decided to talk to a godly friend outside my church. He patiently listened as I poured out my heart. ‘Andrew,’ he said when I’d finished, ‘I see you running a race. And you’re running well. You’re out ahead of everyone else and things are going well. But I hear the spectators on the sidelines jeering…telling you you’re running the wrong race. I see you leave the track and run up into the grandstands to argue with them.’”
Andrew paused a moment, remembering his friend’s words so he could quote them verbatim. When he continued his voice carried the power of the revelation he’d received, “He put his hand on my shoulder. ‘Andrew,’ he said, ‘even if you win the argument, you’ll lose the race. Don’t waste time vindicating yourself. Just run the race God set before you and let Him handle the crowd.’
Andrew smiled, “That one statement wiped away years of frustration and completely changed my perspective. And it’s kept me focused on the work God wants me to do instead of on what men think about what I’m doing.”
†
In our need for affirmation, it’s easy to let what others think dictate our actions and behavior. And while we should always, in humility, consider the welfare of others, we must never allow their opinion to hinder our taking action upon God’s intended purpose for our lives.
When God gives us a directive we should seek to follow it. Although it is wise to seek godly counsel in implementing the process by which we act, it should never deter us from the course set before us.
Numbers 23:19 says, “God is not a human, that He should lie.” Therefore, if He tells you to do something, don’t leave the race to argue in the grandstands.
Prayer
“Help me put to death the fear of men, LORD, that I might run the race with the singular purpose to carry out Your will for my life. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”
No comments:
Post a Comment