“For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.” (John 12:43)
What motivates us? What are we laboring and living for? Jesus lived for the Father’s “Well done!” Having been obedient unto death, He anticipated a triumphant return to heaven, and the fullness of joy He would experience as the beloved Son, in whom God was well pleased.
“… Who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Heb. 12:12).
When all is said and done, whose reward are we hoping for? To walk in the pride of life is to live with an eye for man’s reward. It is also to live so as to escape any embarrassment in the eyes of others. The Father called the Son to a place of obedience that was rife with shame; and what was the testimony of the Son? “I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting” (Isa. 50:6) By design, the Father made sure His Beloved Son would have “no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men …” (Isa. 53:2,3)
To love the praise of men is to live in the fear of man. It is an affection that is to be crucified in Christ. While it may gain us a fleeting reward down here, it will deprive us of a greater reward above. It will keep us from obedience and fuel disobedience. Learn to love the praise of God more than the praise of men. Lay up treasure in heaven.