I have a confession I want to make that I pray will encourage you—and it’s this… I haven’t always made the right decisions in life.
In fact, there are a lot of things I’ve done wrong and a few things I’ve done right on my journey—a journey that’s shown me that spiritual growth and maturity are a process of both grace and truth.
As I look back on my life, one of the things I did wrong was worry too much about what others thought of me. I didn’t always follow the wisdom of Proverbs 29:25 (GNT), which says,
It is dangerous to be concerned with what others think of you.
Saul lost a kingdom, Peter lost his courage, and Herod lost his soul—all because they worried about what other people thought.
Friend, the worst place to keep your peace is in someone else’s head. If you’re constantly worried about what others think of you, you’re in bondage to the fear of man.
And if you’re afraid of man, it means that you’re not trusting the Lord in some area of your life.
One time, I felt the Holy Spirit prompting me to share Jesus with a tailor I’d visited often. He was a big man—intimidating—smoking a cigar and cussing in front of my wife.
I was hesitant, and I didn’t do it.
The next morning, I got a call from my mother. She told me that the man had a heart attack in his shop and died.
I looked at my hands and felt like his blood was on them. I got on my knees and repented. I told God, “If I ever even have the slightest impression again, I’ll obey.”
From that day to this day, I’ve kept that promise.
Looking back, I realize how I allowed the fear of man to influence some of the decisions I made. But God is faithful, and He used that shortcoming to teach me to trust Him more than I feared the opinions of others.
However, I also recognize that I did do some things right on my journey.
One thing I did right was stay hungry for the truth. Proverbs 16:26 (TLB) says, “Hunger is good—if it makes you work to satisfy it!” I had a deep hunger in my heart for truth.
Jesus said in Matthew 5:6, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.” And Psalm 107:9 says, “For He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness.”
Friend, Jesus satisfies the longing soul. If you’re hungry for answers, keep searching. He is faithful to fill you.
The good news is that God can redeem even the mistakes we make. He is faithful to complete the work He began in us.
So let me encourage you today: don’t let the fear of man steal your peace or cause you to compromise your faith. Hold on to the truth God has shown you. Stay hungry for Him. And be quick to obey His voice when He speaks to your heart.
And if you make some mistakes along the way, you’re not alone.
Throughout every high and low in my journey, what’s become clear to me is that faithfulness in the small things leads to greater opportunities. When we’re faithful with what’s in front of us—even when we make mistakes—God will give us more.
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