Find Favor in the Lord
There was a time in my life when I thought the amount of friends someone has, determines whether or not they are cool. I would go out of my way to make my so-called friends like me. I began to notice that my friends only considered me as a friend, when they needed something, or when they’re pals weren’t around. After years of trying to please people, it took a six grade math teacher to utter a sentence that I will never forget. She said, “If the number of friends you have goes past your one hand, there is likely that majority of those people aren’t your friends.” This devotional is not about finding true friends, however, we will discuss that topic at a later time. For now, I want us to focus on why we go out our way in trying to please everyone.
Looking back, I realized I went through a lesson of learning to not care if someone likes me or not. If you call yourself a christian, you will learn that lesson sooner than you think. In John chapter 15:18-19 states, “If the world hate you, ye know that it it hated me before it hated you. 19. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.”
As christians we are followers of Christ, and as followers we will be met with a lot of scrutiny. In other words, there will be people who will not like you because of the calling you walk in, and because of the God you serve. We are not of this world, therefore we cannot expect to be accepted or loved by this world. Instead we should strive to continue to do the Lord’s will and find favor in HIS sight. Let’s look at Genesis 39:20-23
20. And Joseph’s master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king’s prisoners were bound: and he was there in the prison. 21. But the LORD was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison. 22. And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners that were in the prison; and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it. 23. The keeper of the prison looked not to any thing that was under his hand; because the LORD was with him, and that which he did, the LORD made it to prosper.
Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers, he was then thrown into prison, because Potiphar’s wife accused him of rape. If you read the story of Joseph, you will notice that he goes through one hardship after the other. It all started with the betrayal of his brothers, his own family. In every trial he was in, the LORD was with him. As the scripture mentions above, Joseph, a prisoner, became in charge of the prisoners.
In the book of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were tossed in the burning furnace for not bowing down to an idol (see Daniel 3). Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did not perish in the fire, because the LORD was with them. These three men stood firm in their faith, and trusted the LORD God they served. They did not falter even when their lives were threatened. Due to their faithfulness, Shadrach, Mesahach, and Abednego were promoted in the province of Babylon (see Daniel 3:30).
No matter who or what comes against us, God will still make a way for us. We should not discard our beliefs whenever we feel uncomfortable, or come across people who may not like the word we teach.
As Apostle Paul stated in Galatians 1:10, “For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.” We were not placed on this earth to please man, we were placed to serve God. My fellow brothers and sisters, I urge you to get out of the people pleasing business. How can you serve God while also trying to tiptoe around people’s feelings? Fear no man, but fear the ONE who can kill the body and soul (Matthew 10:28).