John 12:42-43 Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.
The question was once raised, "what does a man profit if he gain the whole world but lose his soul?" The implied answer is, nothing. We often trade the permanent for the temporary as seen in Esau's trading of the prize(birthright) for pottage. We all love to be praised. Children and grandchildren bring their colorings to their parents and grandparents for the simple reason they want to be praised for their effort. As adults, we should not be seeking the praise of our peers. There are times when we should take comfort in simply knowing that we did what was right and beneficial though no one seems to have noticed. Why? God did notice and has noticed in the past and will notice in the future. His praise is genuine and His praise is perfect. And as the child that seeks the praise of his parents or grandparents, we should be seeking the praise of our spiritual parent, our Heavenly Father.
Secondly, it can be expected that if the world is praising you, God probably is not and the opposite would be true as well. If God is praising you, the world probably wants nothing to do with you. We see that in the life of Jesus. His Father was full of praise for Him but the religious leaders were full of nothing but envy and hatred.
It is true that we cannot please everyone. So the question is, who will you please; God or men? If God, open your mouth and confess Him and His Son Jesus to those around you. If men, the next question would be, why are you willing to trade the prize for mere pottage?
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