Grace Across Borders
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I have had a full, full plate.
There were days when I felt like I was drowning. Too much to do, too much happening, and seemingly not enough of me to manage it all. My last set of classes was overwhelming, especially with everything else I was dealing with.
Yes, a few papers were late. I had to request extensions. I ended up at the hospital a few times. But yet still, God saw me through.
I finished those classes well, and while I am still waiting on one grade, I am extremely grateful. I remember the moments when I could not see how everything was going to come together. And I know who kept me.
But then I got up, and before I could even settle into giving God His praise and His thanks, I caught myself wondering: Is my blog becoming too churchy?
Imagine that. After everything God had just brought me through, I was wondering whether talking about Him would be too much for people.
That question made me pause. When did people’s approval become so important that I started questioning the very purpose I had committed to God?
Hi, I am Tameka and welcome to this week’s Grace Across Borders.
Scripture
“For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.”
—Galatians 1:10, KJV
Paul wrote these words to the churches in Galatia because the gospel he had preached was being distorted. They had been called into the grace of Christ, but others were troubling them with a message that made circumcision and observance of the law necessary for being made right with God. Paul insisted that justification came through faith in Jesus Christ (Galatians 1:6–7; 2:16; 5:2–6).
Immediately before asking whose approval he sought, Paul warned that even if he himself—or an angel from heaven—preached another gospel, they should reject it. His own words had to be measured against the truth he had received. His authority did not give him permission to change the message.
Then came the question: was he trying to please people or God?
Paul understood that serving Christ meant remaining faithful to the gospel, even when people resisted it. Later in the letter, he spoke of the persecution he faced and explained that others were insisting on circumcision to avoid persecution for the cross of Christ (Galatians 5:11; 6:12).
Faithfulness carried a cost. Paul could not make human acceptance the condition of his obedience.
As I read his words, I have to examine what happens when the desire to be accepted begins influencing what I am willing to say about Christ.
Folklore: The Emperor’s New Clothes
An original retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale.
There was once an emperor who loved fine clothes. He spent lavishly on his appearance and delighted in having something impressive to wear.
One day, two swindlers arrived with an extraordinary claim. They could weave a magnificent cloth that would be invisible to anyone who was foolish or unfit for their position.
The emperor commissioned the clothes, and the men set to work at empty looms.
When an official came to inspect their progress, he saw nothing. But admitting that would mean risking his reputation. Would people think he was foolish? Would they decide he was unfit to serve?
So he praised the fabric.
Another official came, saw the same empty looms, and offered the same admiration. Eventually, the emperor himself went to look. He could see nothing either, but he was unwilling to admit it. He joined in the praise.
When the day of the procession arrived, the swindlers pretended to dress him in his splendid new garments. His attendants admired the work. The emperor stepped out before his people, and the crowd praised clothes that did not exist.
Nobody wanted to be the one who seemed foolish.
Then a child spoke plainly: the emperor had nothing on.
The truth began spreading through the crowd. The emperor suspected they were right, but he continued the procession, while his attendants carried the train that was never there.
Fear of people’s opinions had persuaded an entire crowd to deny what they could plainly see.
Reflection
It is easy to wonder why nobody spoke up. But before I judge that crowd, I have to examine myself.
Nobody had even asked me to change my blog. I was already considering changing it myself.
Grace Across Borders began with a purpose: to share God and the lessons we learn about Him, bringing Scripture into conversation with stories and folklore. Some of us were taught straight from the Bible. Some lessons reached us through stories we heard as children and understood differently as we grew.
God was always at the center.
And I had already made a promise to Him. I said, “God, if one person benefits from this blog, if one person says it helped them, encouraged them, or gave them something they needed, that would be enough.”
Yet I could see several ways God seemed to be leading me toward this week’s message, and I kept trying to find what I wanted to talk about. What would make people happy? What would make them click? What would make them want to read?
Somewhere in those questions, I was losing sight of the commitment I had already made.
Earlier this morning, I read a thought about not needing everyone to like you, love you, or respect you, as long as you can look in the mirror and like, love, and respect what you see.
I understand the encouragement behind that. Rejection can make us forget our worth.
But for me, it ain’t got nothing to do with what I see in the mirror. It has everything to do with that reflection of Christ in me.
I can like what I see and still need God to correct something in me. I can feel pleased with myself while quietly drifting from what He asked me to do. My own approval cannot be the final measure either.
Is His love showing in how I treat people? Is His truth shaping what I say? Am I willing to follow Him when obedience does not come with applause?
And no, this is not easy.
We live in a world where being disliked hurts. It is easy to say, “It’s okay. God loves me.” Living that out when you feel rejected takes something more. Wanting somebody to like us, love us, or appreciate us is deeply human.
God knows that about us. We can bring Him the hurt without pretending it does not exist.
But if gaining someone’s acceptance means turning my back on the love and grace of God, then the price is too high. It is not worth it. Not one bit.
There is so much coming up this week, over the next two weeks, and in the next month. My plate is still full. Yet I continue to trust God, give Him the praise and glory due to His name, and seek His favor and His approval.
His grace meets me here, even as I recognize that my attention has wandered. I can pause. I can listen. I can return to the purpose I entrusted to Him, remembering that reaching one person would be enough.
Now I invite you to take that same pause.
Whose approval has been directing your steps? Is there something God has asked you to do that you have been putting off because you are worried about what people will think?
Bring that honestly before Him. Ask Him to show you where you have drifted and give you the courage to take the next faithful step.
And when you look in the mirror, look beyond whether you like what you see. Ask yourself: Is Christ being reflected in me?
Prayer
God, we thank You. We thank You for providing, for keeping us, for loving us, and for showing up for us.
Father God, we thank You that Your love is not something we earn through our obedience or acknowledgment of You. Even when we struggle and become distracted by people’s opinions, You continue to love us.
We glorify Your name and praise You for all You are doing. Thank You sincerely for every blessing and for every way You continue to cover us, guide us, and shine Your light upon us.
When we feel overwhelmed, remind us of how You have carried us through. When we worry about how others will receive us, bring us back to what You have asked of us. Give us the courage to follow You and trust You with the outcome.
Let our lives reflect Christ in how we speak, how we love, and how we serve.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
Thank you for being here.
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