Saturday, January 24, 2009

John 5 - Part 2: Praise from God

How can you believe if you accept praise [glory, honor, distinction, renown] from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God?
John 5:44
This verse stirred some interesting contemplation for me. Who's approval or praise do I seek? What really motivates my decisions?

I want to seek the only praise that matters, the praise that comes from God. I want my whole life to be motivated by a desire to hear the words, "Well done, good and faithful servant."

So, how does this affect my daily life? How do I allow this to shape my priorities, my time, my life?

At the beginning of this new year, I am being challenged to take a fresh look at my priorities. And to reshape my life and my daily activities, so that all of my life is moving toward ... "enter into the joy of your Lord. Let’s celebrate together!" (Matt 25:21 NLT)

3 comments:

Sarah said...

Do you think this verse is about priorities as much as it is about seeking God to be a part of our lives? To me it seems like this verse points out how we choose to settle with second best when we could have the best praise. The best praise that only God can give which when sought out strengthens our belief in Him.

If you think about it how often do you cry out to God. Hey! Look at me. What do you think? How did I do? And in the same breath accept the praise and love that He has.

Thanks for the post. I'll be contemplating this today.

Christy said...

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I will have to ponder this idea, that we settle for second best when the praise from God gives us the love and acceptance we deeply desire.

BlueCastle said...

Lots of food for thought. Thank you. :)