WHAT THE WORLD KNOWS ABOUT YOU!

“SO THAT THE WORLD MAY KNOW THAT I...” What do you want others to know about you? Often what we tell others about ourselves or even do is a result of what we want others to know about us! (We may not admit it and sometimes we do not even mentally acknowledge it ourselves, until we start getting real with ourselves about our motives.) When we do things so that people will have a certain impression or belief about us. For example when we work extra hard on a project (for school or work) to do really good so others will know that we are smart or hardworking. Sometimes we do this because we want approval and sometimes we just feel like we have something to prove to others. ill: We may want people to respect us (or that we deserve respect) or we want people know that we are a good person, or that we deserve love and attention. Sometimes we do these things not really because we want others to know something about us but so that we can know it or prove it to ourselves. (If we can get others to believe it, we can believe it ourselves.) (We compare ourselves to others for this reason too.)

If you want proof of this just scroll through a social media feed for a little while and maybe your own…and you will see examples of posts and pictures that are there to get attention and likes and approval. (Now I’m not saying that this always the case but, if we are honest, some are and many of us have posted things (myself included) to show everyone something that says something about what we want others to know about us.)

(The likes or hearts or comments prove that “I am beautiful, successful, smart, generous, like-able loveable, etc.) (Do not get me wrong, sometimes we just want someone to share our rejoicing and victories with, and that’s good.) But other times, deep down we are trying to show the world something about ourselves. NOW, LOOK AT WHAT JESUS SAY HE DID BECAUSE OF WHAT HE WANTED THE WORLD TO KNOW ABOUT HIM!

John 14:31 ESV

but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here.

Now, that’s real purpose; living (not the endless cycle of impressing people) but living to impress upon people that loving God is the most important goal and that loving Him taking obeying Him. Living one way promotes self, living the other way glorifies God through love and obedience. Nothing makes the statement more powerfully in your life that by your submission because living for God is loving God. This is an incredible statement considering what Jesus was about to do because He loved God and loved us! Just as Jesus said that His following of the Father’s commands showed that He loved the Father, Jesus also said if you love me, you will keep my commandments. If we keep His commandments we will show the world that we love Him! (Not for our glory but for His.)