PASTOR JOHN COLLINS:The only opinion that matters
How often do we do something because
we care what someone else thinks of us, even if it is a lie? King Solomon in Ecclesiastes says frequently there is nothing new under the sun. Everything
that we do now as people, as a society, has been done before, including trying
to impress others or to cover up an action that was wrong. God is the only one we need to worry about pleasing,
God
is the only one who matters. We are
supposed to act, if we are Christian, the way that God
wants us to act.
Pastor John Collins, evangelist
and head pastor
of Love That Cross Ministries, gives the account of King David
and his actions when he committed
adultery, which resulted
in pregnancy, then had Uriah-the woman’s husband
killed in battle to cover it up. Pastor John
Collins writes of forgiveness in this daily thought. When we sin, we suffer the consequences, and we need to seek the forgiveness of God through His Son, Jesus Christ. Pastor John Collins
preaches true repentance
and forgiveness,
emphasizing that we all sin,
every day, and we need to recognize
that we need to change. How we are perceived
by others really doesn’t matter, it’s what God thinks
of us that matters.
“We need to stop caring about the perception of others and stop caring about feeding our own desires. We need to recognize that the one who matters, the opinion that counts is God’s” ~ Pastor John Collins, 2018.
Pastor John Collins writes:
“Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; according to the multitude of Your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.” Psalm 51:1-2 (NKJV).
David had Uriah, husband of Bathsheba, killed in battle. He did this to cover up the sin of his adultery which resulted in a pregnancy. He then took Bathsheba to be his own. David paid a very high price for his sin in his lifetime. That child died as was decreed by God. David’s own son Absalom tried to take the throne from David and David knew war his whole life. There are consequences to our sin, in this life and without forgiveness, in the next. The one thing that was constant in the life of David was his faith and when he sinned, he knew it and repented and sought that forgiveness. David was a man and subject to the weaknesses that all humans face but he knew that forgiveness is available for those who truly repent and seek that forgiveness from God.
What had begun as desire for a woman turned into murder in order to cover up the adultery that took place to satisfy the lust. One sin compels another and then they pile up and become a burden too heavy to carry. The scrutiny of others can often lead to multiple sins. Let us be honest about the roles that people play in society. Perception is reality not only in politics but in everyday life of everyday people. You want to be perceived in a certain way, as a good person, as a confident person, as a wealthy person as an influential person and the list can go on and on. So, you get up in the morning and you walk out that door and you only allow people to see what you want them to see. You hide the rest. And, like David you go about getting what you want as you see fit and if you get caught or come close to getting caught then you set about containing the situation and managing the details by spinning the perception.
We are capable at adapting to our situations and at controlling our environments and the effects that we have on them. Politicians with campaign managers are not the only ones who actively create realities that are acceptable for the viewing audience.
When does your illusion of control and your need for maintaining the impression that you desire to leave on others become bent and broken and do you recognize whether your perceived reality is aligning with the truth or is it pure conjecture? Do you have biblical standards which you live by? Do your standards sway with the need to bend in order to achieve the goals that you have for your life? Do you recognize any compromises that you may have made in order to get what you want? You see, that is where David is an excellent life to study for us believers. David was not perfect. David was flawed and yet he was a man after God’s own heart. That tells us that it is not that sin is overlooked or that forgiveness is always a given or that God’s expectations are not high. It tells us that God expects an awareness of ourselves and our motives, an awareness of His authority and greatness and it tells us the value that God places on honesty and true faith.
David was truly heartbroken when
Nathan came to tell him of his sin. David wrote many psalms of repentance and
suffering. David had a soul that loved God and trusted in His compassion for
him. David was sorry to the depths of his soul and cried out to God and David
accepted the consequences for his sin because he knew that he was wrong. David
made no excuses but did his best and believed in the healing power of the grace
of God.
We need to stop caring about the perception of others and stop caring about feeding our own desires. We need to recognize that the one who matters, the opinion that counts is God’s. We need to see ourselves for the broken humans that we are and call upon the Lord for His Salvation which lies in Christ Jesus. It does not matter what the masses think. It does not matter what your neighbor thinks. Just get right with God and seek to live a life that aligns with His truth and you will be on the road to salvation.
“For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Your sight-that You may be found just when You speak, and blameless when You judge.” Psalm 51:3-4 (NKJV).
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