Those who fight the Lord’s battles must be content to be in no respect accounted of; they must not expect to be encouraged by the prospect of human praise. And if you make an exception, counting that the children of God will praise you, beware of this, for your expectation of their approval may turn you from the right objective causing you to sow to the flesh for their approval. You will neither be benefited by them nor they by you, so long as respect for them is your motive. All such motives are a poison and debilitate the strength to give glory to God. The misunderstanding of the world is not the only misunderstanding the Christian must be content to endure in labor. He must expect even his brethren to misjudge; he must not expect their sympathy and their cheers of approbation. The man of God must walk alone with God and be content that the Lord knows. It is such a relief to the natural man to fall back upon human support, thoughts and sympathy; we often deceive ourselves and think it “brotherly love,” when we are just resting on the sympathy of some fellow-creature. You are to be followers of Him who was left alone, and you are to rejoice like Him, because you are not alone, because the Father is with you, that you may give glory to God.
It is such a glory to God to see a soul that has been exposed to the praise of men, content, pleased and happy to serve with reference only to God, knowing those being served may possibly all misunderstand. Here was the victory of Jesus; there was not a single heart that beat in sympathy with his heart or entered into his bitter sorrow or bore His grief in His hour of trial. His way was with the Lord; His judgment was with God His Father, who said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matt. 3:1717And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. (Matthew 3:17)). This was the perfect glory given to the Father by the Son who in flesh and blood displayed such a trust in God. That is what you are called to; you are not called to it as He was, but you are called to see God in Him. God has come near to you in Christ; here you have a human heart, a perfect sympathy, and God always brings us to this. If there is any other sympathy with you in the wide universe, it is only that which flows from Christ to His members that may be of any account to you. Feed upon it, and remember you are to walk in the world in this way, not hanging one upon another.
Christian Friend, adapted