CONFIDENT OF THIS
“If you live for people’s acceptance you’ll die from their rejection.” – Lecrae
Through my many years on planet earth I have slowly, sometimes painfully, learned and relearned there is one wise choice between who is first; God or people.
I can choose to live for the acceptance and approval of people. This means making people BIG. This choice makes God smaller than people.
I can choose to live to please God first; people second. This decision makes God big and people small.
BIG GOD; Small People.
BIG PEOPLE; Small God.
Sounds simple to make God first. If it were so easy there would be far more God pleasers and far fewer people pleasers.
If anyone understands this concept it is Fred Crowell. My brothers and sisters were trained to be people pleasers. Looking good was very important. It has been a long journey to learn to resist being a people pleaser.
Not only do people pleasers put people before God, but they also put people above the people most important in their lives.
There is no end to what some people would do to get 15 seconds of attention from their star who could care less about them.
For these reasons, when my son was ready for marriage I told him these words. “Jay, once you say I do you always please God first and Jennifer second, and always please her before you please me.”
What motivated me to say this to Jay? For 22 years I was Jay’s best friend. It was painful to give this counsel.
I said it because so many fathers won’t let go of their children. I let go, as hard as it was.
Letting go of everything on earth and putting God first is hard to do. It is costly.
50 years ago I gave up my precious basketball. I told Jesus he was first. For a short period (two years) basketball was totally out of my life.
Abba Father had important things to teach me. Today, basketball has been given back 100 fold. God has used Crowell Basketball worldwide.
It’s not what’s in your wallet that counts; it is what is first in your heart that counts.
For 45 years my life Bible verse has been, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you.” – Matthew 6:33
