The Only Opinion That Counts

Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls; and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand. Romans 14:4 (New American Standard Bible)

For those of us who hunger for approval and acceptance, the opinions of others can have a hold on us if we let them. We cannot stop others from judging us or forming an opinion about us. It happened to Christ when He walked on this earth centuries ago. It happened to God’s children in both the Old and New Testament. It has happened to us all. Freedom from the effects of what others think of us is only found as we see the truth that God’s opinion is what counts. Our actions are right or wrong according to Him.

One of the most apparent times of being judged by others, for me, was when I began to seek freedom from a legalistic way of living my Christian life. Learning the truth that God’s love was not dependent on what I was doing had a huge impact on me and led to the desire to walk in freedom rather than in rigid conformity. It opened the door for me to allow God to set the boundaries and standards in my life. It paved the way for me to be accepting of things that at one time were unacceptable. I cleared away the self imposed list of does and don’ts that had defined my life and allowed God to begin to rewrite it.

For decades I had struggled in the area of music. What was appropriate to listen to and what was not? What was right and what was wrong? My view was based more on what others had told me rather than on what God told me. At one time, if the music had a beat of any kind it was deemed wrong and dangerous. Never mind individual tastes and preferences. So for decades I set aside anything of a contemporary nature. Once in a while I would attempt to break free and I would actually buy a tape or CD of “forbidden” music only to turn around and out of guilt throw it away or destroy it. This all changed in the spring of 2004. In the privacy of a guest room at my grandmother’s house, with tears I finally asked God to give me the freedom to listen to the music that ministers to me. He graciously did so and once I received His approval, the door to praise and worship music swung wide open that I had previously shut.

While I enjoyed this new found freedom with passion it came at a price. It cost me a teaching job at a Christian school as well as the respect of others as they felt I had backslid. The sting of that was only relieved as I rested in the truth that God approved of my changes whether others did or not. It will continue to be that way as other areas of my life are affected. To Him I stand or fall and by His grace I stand!

Father, continue to open the doors I have shut and backed away from. Christ came to set me free and I choose to dance in that freedom for the rest of my life. Amen.

With All I Am - Hillsong
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMrAafe7Mns&feature=related

Getting into God's Word and letting God's Word get into me one truth at a time.