But with me, it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you… but he that judgeth me is the Lord.
1 Corinthians 4:3, 4
Have you noticed that some people are fashion conscious to the extreme? They fastidiously follow trends, always watching for the latest change, and rush out to the shops to acquire it. It matters not to them if the latest trend is more revealing and could be provocative. They have become slaves to whatever the marketing experts have convinced them is most popular. They are modern day slaves to the opinions of others.
Cyber bullying thrives on the same mindset that we must remain popular at all costs. Some people have committed suicide because they are afraid of being out of favour. ‘If people ridicule me, life is not worth living.’
The Bible refers to this as a fear of man. Proverbs 29:25 says, ‘The fear of man bringeth a snare…’ He says, ‘Don’t fall in THAT trap!’
The cure is found in today’s verses. To judge is to critique. How much does the Apostle Paul say he cares about the critiques of others in comparison to the critique of the Lord? He calls it ‘a very small thing.’ It’s no big deal to him what anybody thinks of him.
What IS a big deal to a believer is whether he is pleasing his Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Living this way frees us from slavery to people’s opinions. It also reduces our temptation to sin against the Lord because of that slavery. For example, how many give in to sexual sin (which God hates) because of peer pressure?
How often was our Saviour bullied? It’s no different for His followers. Paul says in verse 9 that he was ‘made a spectacle unto the world.’
When you don’t care what people say about you, but do care deeply, whether the Lord is happy with you, that is Biblical Christianity.
Father, in a world where 5 star reviews and ‘likes’ are everything, let it sink in that 100 years from now it will not matter whether I was popular or unpopular among my peers. All that will matter is Your approval of me.
That alone is my life’s goal.