Readings for today: Romans 1-2, Psalms 133
“Who are you trying to impress?” I still remember being confronted in counseling with this question many years ago. I had graduated from seminary and hit the ground running in ministry. I was serving a wonderful church in Mobile, AL, full of wonderful people who were so excited to be on mission for God. When I first arrived, I threw myself into everything. I did it all and led it all and after about two years or so, began to burn out. I couldn’t imagine being able to keep the pace I had set for much longer. That’s when I sought out a counselor. After listening to my story, he asked me the question above. It hit me like a two by four between the eyes. Who was I trying to impress? Why was I trying to lead everything? What was I trying to prove? These questions and others helped me take a step back, build teams of amazing people who did far more than I ever could, and the church thrived as a result.
The last words of the last verse hit me in a similar place this morning. “A person is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is of the heart — by the Spirit, not the letter. That person’s praise is not from people but from God.” (Romans 2:29 CSB) Paul is challenging a core belief for many of the early Christians, especially those coming from a Jewish background. They had been raised their entire lives to honor and follow the Law of God. Starting with circumcision, they were marked as God’s own by their faithfulness to Torah. Here Paul challenges that idea by suggesting - radically - that one must be “circumcised” in the heart or as he will later put it, one must be justified by faith. This inward change is what elicits praise from God which he contrasts with faithfulness to the Law which elicits praise from other people.
So back to my initial question…who am I trying to impress? God or people? God or my family, my friends, even my church? Is the reason I do what I do and believe what I believe a matter of inward transformation or is it born from a legalism that is ultimately self-justifying? If I’m honest, it’s easy for me to slip from the former to the latter. After all, I get a lot of accolades in my line of work for being outwardly holy and pure. I get a lot of compliments from those I serve and my fellow colleagues if I set a godly example. And that’s where things can get dangerous. I can start to live more for the praise of God’s people than for the praise of God Himself. What about you? Where do you find yourself today? Why do you follow Jesus? Is it to bring Him honor and glory or is it to win the praise of those around you?
Readings for tomorrow: Romans 3-4, Psalms 134 (No devotionals on Sundays)