The Beat Of God’s Drum

Read: Isaiah 51:7-8

Do not fear the reproach of men or be terrified by their insults.

Isaiah 51:7

IN WORD Have you ever wondered what your life would be like if you had no concern for others’ opinions? Would your choices be different? We’d like to think not; few of us consider how swayed we are by our desire for a good reputation. But think about it. How many things do we do (or not do) simply because of how it will look to our family, our friends, our coworkers, or even strangers? We’re affected from the clothes we wear, to the parties we attend, to the jobs we take, to the neighborhoods we move to—and, unfortunately, to the words we say and the morals we live by. We are far more influenced by cultural norms than we want to be.

Consider all of those who really stand out in Scripture as obedient servants of God—Abraham, Noah, Moses, David, Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and so on. What do they have in common? They cared more about what God thought of them than what others thought of them. Their reputation in the eyes of God was of greater value than their reputation in the eyes of men. Even in the case of Jeremiah, who grieved over his adversaries’ harsh words, obedience to God was more treasured than acceptance among peers. Those who make a difference in God’s Kingdom are those who refuse to conform to the kingdom of this world.

IN DEED God calls us to a holy stubbornness. It’s not a stubbornness that turns a petty disagreement into a major war or that will not be teachable under any circumstances. It’s the kind of resolve that does not go with the flow of the culture. We cannot speak only what is politically correct—that’s a terribly unprophetic thing to do. We cannot sacrifice biblical standards for modern moral expectations. We cannot bow to the pressures of our peers or blend with the contexts of elitism, corporatism, politicalism, classism, or any other -ism out there. We must march to the beat of the ultimately different Drummer—God Himself. We must seek only His voice and follow only His commands. We must strip ourselves of all hindrances to discipleship, and we must not be swayed.

Never forget that only dead fish swim with the stream.

—MALCOLM MUGGERIDGE