I'd rather be judged by the world

Reflection

There is a particular freedom in caring more about God's verdict than the world's. Scripture repeatedly contrasts human approval with divine judgement: Paul writes that if he were still trying to please people, he would not be a servant of Christ (Galatians 1:10), and Jesus warns of the danger of loving human praise more than the praise of God (John 12:43). This is not a licence for arrogance or for dismissing others carelessly. It is an invitation to examine where our sense of worth actually comes from. Many Christians feel the pull of two audiences: the watching world with its shifting standards, and a God whose standards do not change. Choosing to be judged by the world and found wanting, rather than compromising conviction, has a long history in the faith, from the prophets to the martyrs. It costs something. But it also frees a person from the exhausting task of managing everyone's opinion, and roots identity in something steadier than a crowd.

Questions to sit with

• Whose opinion tends to shape your decisions most, and why?
• Can you recall a time you chose conviction over popularity, and how did it feel afterwards?
• What would change in your daily life if you cared less about being liked?

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