February 17th, 2025
by Pastor Josh Hayward
by Pastor Josh Hayward
Beloved Kinney,
There are many overt sins that do much harm to our souls: sexual immorality, gluttony,
drug/alcohol abuse, fits of rage, lying, etc. But there are also many covert sins that do
much harm to our souls, sins that we may not give as much effort in fighting. One such
is the love of the praise of man. When we crave the praise of people, we are insecure,
spiritually dry, unstable, and unable to love others. This is why Ed Welch says that we
must strive to NEED people less so that we can LOVE people more (When People are
Big and God is Small).
I’ve been reading through the classic Confessions by Augustine of Hippo, the 5th century
North African theologian. It is outstanding…and very convicting. About 13 years after he
was converted to Christianity, Augustine wrote an entire book, not just ABOUT the Lord,
but TO the Lord. Confessions is one long prayer to God, confessing his sins. And it is
amazing.
Listen to one portion that describes his struggle with craving the praise of people: “You
know how great a change you have worked in me, for you have curbed my pride by
teaching me to fear you…” (pg. 244). He’s expressing thanks to God for helping him
fight pride. BUT he also expresses some discouragement for a particular kind of pride
that still remains. “But, O Lord…there is [another] kind of temptation which, I fear, has
not passed from me. Can it ever pass from me in all this life? It is the desire to be feared
or loved by other men, simply for the pleasure that it gives me, though in such pleasure
there is no true joy. It means only a life of misery and despicable vainglory.” (pg. 244)
Oh, how true that is! The pleasure we find in the praise of others is not true joy; it is
vainglory. It gives us a quick buzz, a temporary sugar-high that doesn’t last because it
cannot last because our hearts were not made to be filled with being made much of.
Our hearts were made to make much of the Lord—where true joy is found.
And Augustine knew that the praise of people is one of the key tools of temptation
Satan uses to steal our joy. “This is why the enemy of our true happiness persists in his
attacks upon me…He sets his traps about me, baiting me with tributes of applause…He
wants me to divorce my joy from the truth and place it in man’s duplicity. He wants me to
enjoy being loved and feared by others, not for your sake, but in your place, so that in
this way he may make me like himself…” (pg. 244-245)
Oh Kinney, just think of the difference it would make in our lives if we fought to fear God
more than we feared man…if we persisted in praising God more than in being praised…if
we put effort in exalting God more than being exalted. The praise of people is a tool of
temptation the enemy loves to use to steal your joy. Don’t let him! Praise God. Fear
God. Exalt God. Give glory to God. And experience true joy.
Love,
Pastor Josh
There are many overt sins that do much harm to our souls: sexual immorality, gluttony,
drug/alcohol abuse, fits of rage, lying, etc. But there are also many covert sins that do
much harm to our souls, sins that we may not give as much effort in fighting. One such
is the love of the praise of man. When we crave the praise of people, we are insecure,
spiritually dry, unstable, and unable to love others. This is why Ed Welch says that we
must strive to NEED people less so that we can LOVE people more (When People are
Big and God is Small).
I’ve been reading through the classic Confessions by Augustine of Hippo, the 5th century
North African theologian. It is outstanding…and very convicting. About 13 years after he
was converted to Christianity, Augustine wrote an entire book, not just ABOUT the Lord,
but TO the Lord. Confessions is one long prayer to God, confessing his sins. And it is
amazing.
Listen to one portion that describes his struggle with craving the praise of people: “You
know how great a change you have worked in me, for you have curbed my pride by
teaching me to fear you…” (pg. 244). He’s expressing thanks to God for helping him
fight pride. BUT he also expresses some discouragement for a particular kind of pride
that still remains. “But, O Lord…there is [another] kind of temptation which, I fear, has
not passed from me. Can it ever pass from me in all this life? It is the desire to be feared
or loved by other men, simply for the pleasure that it gives me, though in such pleasure
there is no true joy. It means only a life of misery and despicable vainglory.” (pg. 244)
Oh, how true that is! The pleasure we find in the praise of others is not true joy; it is
vainglory. It gives us a quick buzz, a temporary sugar-high that doesn’t last because it
cannot last because our hearts were not made to be filled with being made much of.
Our hearts were made to make much of the Lord—where true joy is found.
And Augustine knew that the praise of people is one of the key tools of temptation
Satan uses to steal our joy. “This is why the enemy of our true happiness persists in his
attacks upon me…He sets his traps about me, baiting me with tributes of applause…He
wants me to divorce my joy from the truth and place it in man’s duplicity. He wants me to
enjoy being loved and feared by others, not for your sake, but in your place, so that in
this way he may make me like himself…” (pg. 244-245)
Oh Kinney, just think of the difference it would make in our lives if we fought to fear God
more than we feared man…if we persisted in praising God more than in being praised…if
we put effort in exalting God more than being exalted. The praise of people is a tool of
temptation the enemy loves to use to steal your joy. Don’t let him! Praise God. Fear
God. Exalt God. Give glory to God. And experience true joy.
Love,
Pastor Josh
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I am reading when People are Big and God is small by Ed Welch. Such a thought provoking and encouraging book. One tangible way that I have been seeking to grow in the fear of God is preaching to myself psalm 139. Other great chapters on the Fear of God are Job 38-41.