In Philippians 2, Paul writes these convicting words: “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.” This command is not only counter-cultural but opposes a deeply engrained desire in our sinful nature to idolize the praise and attention of others. Not a few Christians struggle with obsessing over what others think of them. The idolatry of man’s praise violates verses like the one just quoted from Philippians, but most fundamentally it breaks the first commandment to have no other gods before the Lord.
Not only is idolizing the praise of man sinful, it’s dangerous. John 12:43 tells us that many religious leaders continued to oppose Jesus despite seeing him do miracles because “they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.” The worship of man’s approval can and will lead us to very destructive places for our faith and life. Living for the praise of man has driven many people to unhealth for fear of losing that most precious and conditional commodity of the approval of others. This should cause us to long for the freedom of self-forgetfulness exemplified well in the life of George Whitefield. Whitefield had such a fruitful preaching ministry that one man said there had never been such popularity in the life of so young a person, either in the church or out of it. Understandably, Whitefield feared what such popularity could do to his soul. As he recounts in his own words:
The tide of popularity began to run very high. In a short time I could no longer walk on foot as usual, but was constrained to go in a coach from place to place, to avoid the hosannas of the multitude. They grew quite extravagant in their applause, and had it not been for my compassionate High Priest, popularity would have destroyed me. I used to plead with Him to take me by the hand and lead me unhurt through this fiery furnace. He heard my request and gave me to see the vanity of all commendations but His own.[1]
Whitefield’s prayer should be our own, that his clear vision of the vanity of the praise of man would also be our own. Isaiah 43 helps us expel the allure of the praise of man by showing us three ways God’s love is superior to the praise of others, and if we internalize these truths we will loosen our heart’s grip on the idol of what others think of us.
Who God Is
The first thing we must notice in this passage is who is speaking. In verse 1, we read these significant words, “But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel.”
God wants his people to know who is speaking. He announces himself to remind them of who it is that loves them and commands them. The words he’s about to speak should be received with great weight because of who utters them.
Words are weighed more or less depending on who is speaking them. When my wife encourages me it means a great deal because of the amount of respect I have for her and how well she knows me. We also give more weight to words spoken by people we deeply admire. Conversely, we often discount words of praise or criticism based on our lack of admiration of that person.
When it comes to weighing a person’s words based on who they are, how could anyone compete with the Lord God? His personal character? Flawless, pure, and without blemish. His knowledge? Infinite and unsearchable, holding more information about us, our hearts, and the world then every quantum computer that this universe could hold. His accomplishments? Every good and perfect gift is from him and all things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities were created through him and for him (Col. 1:16).
It’s nice to receive an encouraging word from a loved one or a superior, but it is idiocy to value their words over the God who created us and all things. God knows all of our sin, and yet he still loves us. No other source of loving affirmation can compare to him.
What God Says to Us
The dopamine hit we get from a word of praise usually revolves around an exceptional performance of ours. “Hey, Bill! Great job on that presentation!” “Sarah, I can’t believe you did so well on that exam!” “Greg, how are you so good at every sport?!” We feed off these words of affirmation like piranha devouring their prey. But these words are often superficial and conditionally based. They are praising one small part of who we are, which is why people often distort their whole lives to revolve around that one area of their life that receives praise no matter how peripheral it is. But these superficial scraps from the table cannot satisfy us in a way that gives us confidence and emotional security. We need something deeper. We need what only God can give us; we long for those substantive words of affirmation that only come from the lips of our Maker. In contrast to superficial words of affirmation, listen to God’s loving words to his children in Isaiah 43:1-7:
I have redeemed you
You are mine
I will be with you
You are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you
I give men in return for you
Have you ever had someone heap loving words of praise on you that were anywhere near this significant? Has anyone ever approached you after a great athletic performance and dripping with sweat exclaimed, “What a performance! You are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you!” What is even more significant about these words is they are not connected to our obedience. We didn’t do anything to be precious in his eyes which means we can’t do anything to lose that preciousness and love. Imagine what such loving, affirming, valuing, and unchangeable words could do in our life. Think of the quiet confidence, peace, and emotional security we would have if we looked to God’s words instead of the conditional and superficial praise of others.
What God Did for Us
I was standing in a driveway playing basketball with some high school students when one of them said something that I’ll never forget. In an effort to use my words to build people up, I had developed the habit of telling every high school guy I spoke with that they were “the man.” So, while standing in that driveway I greeted this student and with sincere love toward him, high-fived him and said my standard line: “You’re the man!” With a smile he replied, “But you just told him that he was the man. So, am I the man, or is he?” I learned that night that words of praise, as well-meaning as they might be, ring hollow when they aren’t truthful or backed up by actions.
Loving words that are not backed up by loving actions will yield little comfort. For example, your boss praises you for doing an amazing job on a project but then entrusts the next big assignment to a coworker. Your friend tells you that you are their favorite person to hang out with but doesn’t invite you to a get-together which includes a number of your friends.
When God speaks loving words of affirmation, he backs it up. After showering his children with words of love and inspiring their confidence that he will never abandon them, he then tells them the extent he will go to in order to love then. He says in verse 3-4,
For I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
I give Egypt as your ransom,
Cush and Seba in exchange for you.
Because you are precious in my eyes,
and honored, and I love you,
I give men in return for you,
peoples in exchange for your life.
God doesn’t write checks with his words that he won’t cash with his actions. He says, “You are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you, and if you don’t believe me, look at what I am willing to do. I will give men in return for you and peoples in exchange for your life!” He reminds the Israelites–who were not exactly a model of faithfulness to him–that he will trade the life of others for their life. And that’s exactly what God did.
Made for More
Lastly, God’s words to us point us to him. In verse 6-7 the Lord says, “bring my sons from afar, and my daughters from the ends of the earth, everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.” God made us to be satisfied in his love, but he also made us to live for his glory. The more we ponder his character, his power, his holiness, is knowledge, his radiance, and of course his mercy and grace the more we will become obsessed with him and making much of him. We were made to be loved, but we were also made to worship. We find the love we long for in God and when we do we also find in him the ultimate object worth worshipping. True joy and self-forgetfulness is found in living for God’s glory rather than our own. Our redemption might start with God moving toward us in love, but it ends with us pointing back to him in ceaseless praise. This is freedom.
[1] Arnold Dallimore, George Whitefield, vol. 1 (Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 1970). 133.
Mike McGregor
Mike McGregor (MDiv, Reformed Theological Seminary) is Director of College Ministry at First Baptist Church in Durham, N.C. You can follow him on Twitter at @m5mcgregor.
