By Kevin Harris, pastor of the Illawarra Community Baptist Church in Wollongong, NSW
But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man’s judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self. For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord. Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.
1 Corinthians 4:3-5
Do we grasp how much we seek the approval of others? We want to fit in or even be outstanding in the eyes of society. It affects our choice of clothing, accessories, cosmetic surgeries, hair styles, and so forth. Some people spend months of their lives working diligently in order to have a coveted badge on the car they drive.
Why do we do this to ourselves?
In a word, we seek approval.
We want to project a particular persona or image. We shudder to think that perfect image might be shattered.
If we’ll evaluate ourselves carefully, we may conclude that pride is at the root.
Don’t get me wrong. We don’t need to go out of our way to dress in flour sacks or drive horses and buggies in an effort to be different.
But is life meant to be lived primarily in order to be liked by our fellow human beings?
The word judge in verse 3 speaks of examining the qualities of a person. In this case it also speaks of voicing the result of that examination in blaming or condemning them.
Paul wasn’t worried about the opinion that the Corinthians church members had of him. Lest he offend them, he follows that up with ‘or of man’s judgment.’ He’s saying, ‘It’s not just you; I don’t lose sleep over what anybody thinks of me.’ Then he adds, ‘I don’t even put stock in my own biased opinion of myself. Self-love may blind the accuracy of my assessment of myself.’
Paul, if you don’t seek the approval of man, even of yourself, what drives you?
He replies, ‘I’m driven by the coming assessment of the Lord Jesus Christ. When He comes, I will face Him at the Judgment Seat of Christ. All my secret motivations and purposes will be exposed. What mankind could not know about my hidden agendas will be revealed. More than anything, I want His smile upon me on that day.’
So do I.
Father, You are the Judge who matters most. I think about Your evaluation of me at the Rapture. Oh, how I want to please You both then and now. Bring to light the deep motivations of my heart. Correct what is wrong and strengthen what is right. Form Christ in me more perfectly, that I might enjoy ‘praise of God’ on that day. I ask this in the Name of the Lord Jesus, Amen.
This article was written by Kevin Harris Dapto pastor of Illawarra Community Baptist Church.