Proverbs 4:16 For they can’t sleep unless they have done what is evil; they are robbed of sleep unless they make someone stumble.
Who are they? You know what they say. They have made the decision. They cannot be beaten. They are running everything into the ground, They have taken control. They are out to get us. Prov. 4:16 For they can’t sleep unless they have done what is evil; they are robbed of sleep unless they make someone stumble. They are influencing our children to make wrong choices. They have ruined everything. Whoever they are, they sure have a lot of say in people’s lives. So much authority and personal will are given over to what they say or think. Isa. 2:22 Stop trusting in mere humans, who have but a breath in their nostrils. Why hold them in esteem?
We should be more concerned with what God says and thinks of us, rather than what they think or say. God has the final word on all of our lives. Matt.10:28 Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Yes, we live in a world with laws and social expectations within a civilized structure, but our free will still belongs to ourselves and to whom we give it. We are the ones who determine who we will listen to and obey. For the sake of our mental health and well-being, we had better make up our minds about whether the Lord will lead us in life or whether They will direct our lives.
The problem with letting They take us along its path is that They are such a vague entity. The mercurial fickleness of what they say will keep people in fear and confusion. When people are confused and end up believing in nothing, these same people will fall for anything. The hazy concepts they have to offer are no substance at all. The poor souls who are looking to what they say to acquire some semblance of direction and identity are left with nothing. Talk about building your house on quicksand. The number of people who are stuck and not moving forward because of the fear of what they say is widespread. This is why our faith needs to be in a living God.
We need to remember, it is not they who will be our judge on judgment day, it will be God, our Heavenly Father. We will be standing alone on that day. It will only be you and God looking at the life you lived. Therefore, our focus needs to be on what God says is true and what His will is for our lives. Some might say, “But I need to get along with those who are at work and with those I come across throughout the day.” Yes, but if we were focused on pleasing God, He will ensure they are not our issue. Prov. 16:7 When the LORD takes pleasure in anyone’s way, He causes their enemies to make peace with them. In some cases, God will make sure they are a blessing to us.
Recently, I got caught up in something that had me thinking about what they might think. The sad thing was, that they were from the church assembly I attend. Questions like, “What if they see it this way, and I am blamed? What if I cannot explain what really happened with the misunderstanding?” And on and on it went till finally, I said, “Stop it! This is getting me nowhere.” I was becoming agitated in my spirit for something that had not even happened, and it was all because of They.
When we live our lives on the edge of what they think, we can end up creating scenarios that just don’t exist. This is dangerous because wars can be caused by what someone thinks of what THEY might be thinking. Naaman the leper had been told of a prophet in Israel who could heal him. Therefore, Naaman the Syrian asked his king for a letter of introduction to the king of Israel so that he could be healed of his leprosy. The king of Israel immediately took what was written as a challenge to start a fight. 2Kings 5:7 When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes in dismay and said, “This man sends me a leper to heal! Am I God, that I can give life and take it away? I can see that he’s just trying to pick a fight with me.” A misunderstanding was brewing because politicians were involved and the king was trying to figure out what they really wanted.
In this case, it took a man of God and reason to cut through all the machinations that can happen when they are in charge and create problems that are not there in the first place. 2Kings 5:8 But when Elisha, the man of God, heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes in dismay, he sent this message to him: “Why are you so upset? Send Naaman to me, and he will learn that there is a true prophet here in Israel.” The casualness of Elisha’s question shows the strength of his character, “Why are you so upset?” I could ask the same of us. Why are we so worried about stuff that has not happened or might happen? We need to focus on what God says and leave the things that they say to themselves. Blessings and peace be to us all, and may we become skilled at not worrying about what they say.
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Great message! It reminds me of a running question from childhood in our home, “who is “they”?”
We should all be questioning who we are worried about more than God. Thank you for this reminder.