Popularity: August 26, 2013

TODAY’S WORD FOR MONDAY AUGUST 26, 2013.

POPULARITY

DEFINITION:

The quality of being regarded with approval or affection by people in general.

SCRIPTURE:

For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? Mark 8: 36-37.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

What was Jesus really saying to us through the words recorded in Mark 8:36(above)? When He asked, “What it profits a man,” He was bringing to our minds the simple equation of profit and loss, which basically states that one's soul is worth more than all the popularity, all of the riches, and all of the pleasures of this world. No matter how much you have of what the world offers to you, if you do not have salvation in Jesus Christ you are eternally bankrupt.

And in the second verse above (verse 37) He asks what one would consider giving in exchange for his soul. The soul is eternal and therefore worth more than anything that this world has to offer.

Popularity is not a bad thing if it comes for the right reasons and from the right actions. It is when popularity becomes an obsession that it is dangerous because it often leads to compromising one's character. The desire for popularity is one of Satan's tools. Many have sold their souls to the devil to gain popularity.

Everyone wants to be popular and wants to belong to the “in” crowd. Often, however, what the “in” crowd is doing is not the right thing. Popularity inflates the ego and changes the heart. We see this in the life of Saul.

After Saul became King over Israel, he obeyed God and God gave him great victories over Israel’s enemies. Saul’s successes made him popular with the people but his popularity changed him. He not only did not give God the glory but he turned away from God and he had a monument built in his honor (I Samuel 15:12). 

Jesus gained His popularity on this earth because He was God. His loving compassion, Godly wisdom, consistent teaching and healing touch made Him someone special and the crowds came to listen to Him.

He was popular because His teachings, His healings and His miracles (such as feeding the 5000) changed people's lives. Huge crowds followed Him wherever He went but He remained humble. He honored God, His Father and gave Him the glory and many were convinced to believe in Him as the Son of God.

When we were raising our children, and it is the same today with our grand children, popularity is important to young people. A young person wants to be liked and popular. Popularity is a fleeting thing and comes and goes quickly. This is why parents need to help their children get their eyes off of the "things" of the world such as popularity and onto the "things" that count for eternity.

When Jesus hung on that cross dying His popularity was disappearing. Even His disciples began to doubt. There he was dying on the cross paying for our sins and the sins of all who lived down through the centuries and there was doubt and sadness across the land. Jesus did not come to earth to be popular. He came to do the unpopular thing, to show us that we are sinners and to provide for us an escape from paying our penalty for our sins. Popularity is not what God wants us to strive for in life. We need to daily work on our relationship with Jesus and then allow Him to work through us. We are here to bring glory to His name.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Colossians 3:16.

Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God

PRAYER:

May my popularity be in You and You only. May I strive today on making people see Christ through me and not me striving to be popular with them.