Read: John 12:37-50
They loved the glory that comes from man more. (v. 43)
Admit it: you care about what others think of you. Nobody wants to be laughed at or mocked. We all want respect. That’s not bad, but worrying about what other people think can be a barrier to following Christ. For this reason, we cannot be true disciples of Christ unless we’re willing to surrender our reputation.
Jesus stated many times that the world will hate us for his name’s sake. In John 15:18-19 he says, “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world . . . the world hates you.” Part of being a true follower of Christ means losing our reputation in this world as we bear his name.
If we’re not willing to surrender our reputation, we’ll end up like the people John described, who wouldn’t admit that they believed in Jesus because “they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.” Their reputation meant more to them than following the man who they knew in their hearts was the Messiah.
Likewise, unless we are willing to surrender our reputation, what people think of us will end up becoming so important to us that we’ll find ourselves hesitating to confess openly our allegiance to Christ.
Will you bear his name gladly?
As you pray, ask God to give you the courage to surrender your reputation and confess Christ’s name.
About the Author
Jessica Heikoop was a writer and editor from Ontario, Canada. Beloved by her family and community, she died in 2013 at the age of 31.
