Locations & Times

What will people think?

Although I haven’t said them out loud, I have given away power to these four words more times than I care to admit.

And I’m not alone. The Bible provides numerous examples of tragic endings and missed opportunities for people who, instead of honoring God, allowed the opinions of others to direct their steps. Like me, they became marionettes to fear or flattery, and before they knew it, the puppet strings were choking the life out of them. 

There is always a cost to pleasing men at the expense of glorifying God. 

King Saul chose to disobey the Lord by sparing King Agag because he “feared the people and obeyed their voice.” Because of this, he was rejected by God (1 Samuel 15:1–26, NKJV).

Ananias and Sapphira lost their lives when they lied about their generosity—a likely attempt to impress their community (Acts 5).

Peter suffered immense grief when he denied Christ to others (Mark 14:66–72).

The Jewish leaders of Jesus’ day wouldn’t even acknowledge their belief in the Messiah because “they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God” (John 12:43, NKJV)

And me? For years I ignored promptings to share details about the miraculous work God had done in my life and in my marriage because… What would people think if they knew about my past?  

I missed God opportunities because I was trapped by people’s opinions.

“The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is safe” (Proverbs 29:25, NKJV)

A snare is a trap, and traps don’t come with warning signs. They are hidden until it is too late. Anyone who isn’t paying attention can get trapped by fear of rejection or seeking the praise of others.

There isn’t anything inherently wrong with wanting to be respected or wanting to do good.  Those are positive things. It’s when we chase after approval and applause rather than God’s glory that we are sliding into dangerous territory. 

Jesus showed us the way out. His whole mindset was doing His Father’s will. He told the religious leaders, “Your approval means nothing to me” (John 5:41, NLT) The reason? He knew his purpose. “I have come down from heaven to do the will of God, not to do my own will” (John 6:38, NLT) Jesus the Son, walked in such unity with His Father that nothing could distract Him from the goal. He wasn’t here to gain applause or live a life of comfort. He was here to glorify God through His obedience.

Paul the apostle had opportunity to walk this out. In Acts 14:18–19, Paul, in the name of Jesus, healed a man who had been crippled since birth. The crowds went wild, preparing to worship him along with his ministry partner Barnabus. This could have led to a life of ease and popularity. Paul could have been an overnight influencer.

If it was me, I wonder if I would have fallen into the trap of thinking I had earned the praise for radically changing the life of a crippled man. How easy would it have been for me to wrap myself in a warm quilt of human approval under the banner of ministry and stay right there? But Paul didn’t fall into that trap. He knew popularity and comfort do not equal honoring God. He rejected the worship and preached the gospel. Like Jesus, he knew peace came from living out his purpose.

Take a moment to reflect. Where is one area you might be tempted to create an airbrushed image of yourself to impress others? Where might you be choosing applause and popularity over obedience to God’s purpose? What one step can you take to get aligned with God’s purpose?

What will people think? are words that sometimes whisper and sometimes roar. They have trapped and harmed many people.  But they can be defeated by asking a different, more powerful question. 

Father, what will honor You?

If this encouraged you, check out more articles from our Flatirons Spiritual Formation Team for practical tools, encouragement, and ways to grow in your faith and leadership. Click here.