God's Voice Matters More Than the World's Applause

God’s Voice Matters More Than the World’s Applause

As believers discovering our God-given purpose, we face a daily choice that can feel overwhelming: Do we seek the approval of the world around us, or do we stand firmly in our calling, even when it costs us worldly acceptance? This tension isn’t new. It’s as old as humanity itself, and it strikes at the very heart of what it means to live in the freedom Christ won for us.

The uncomfortable truth is that our desire for worldly approval often becomes the greatest obstacle to walking fully in our divine calling. When we’re more concerned with fitting in than standing out for Christ, we find ourselves compromising the very purpose God designed us to fulfil.

The temptation to compromise our calling

Picture this scenario: You’ve been growing in your faith, discovering your identity in Christ, and sensing God’s call on your life. But then reality hits. Standing up for biblical truth starts getting in the way of what the world tells us we should pursue: popularity, career advancement, romantic relationships, or social acceptance.

Suddenly, we’re faced with difficult choices: When standing for Christ means the popular crowd mocks us, we’re tempted to keep our beliefs to ourselves. After all, it’s easier to blend in than to stand out, isn’t it?

When holding to biblical standards for relationships means losing someone we fancy, we consider compromising our values. Perhaps we tell ourselves that God wants us to be happy. So surely, He’ll understand just this once.

When obeying the Lord’s call on our life means turning down promotions or giving up a comfortable lifestyle, we might tell Jesus to stay confined to Sunday mornings, whilst we handle the ‘practical’ aspects of life during the week.

But here’s the sobering reality: when we make these choices, we’re not simply making harmless adjustments to fit in better. We’re disobeying the Lord and aligning ourselves with the world’s rebellion against Him.

Ezekiel’s warning: Don’t join the rebellion

The prophet Ezekiel faced this exact challenge. God’s response to him provides crucial insight for our own journey. In Ezekiel chapter 2, God warned His prophet about the temptation to fear people more than fearing Him:

“But you, son of man, hear what I say to you. Do not be rebellious like that rebellious house; open your mouth and eat what I give you.” Now when I looked, there was a hand stretched out to me; and behold, a scroll of a book was in it. Then He spread it before me; and there was writing on the inside and on the outside, and written on it were lamentations and mourning and woe. (Ezekiel 2:8-10, NKJV emphasis added)

God’s message to Ezekiel is clear: if the prophet should give in to his fear of people’s reactions, he would be joining the very rebellion he was sent to address. The one called to convict the nation of their disobedience would become guilty of the same crime.

This principle applies directly to us today. When we fear people’s opinions more than God’s calling on our lives, we’re not simply being cautious or wise. We’re actively choosing to rebel against the One who created us for a specific purpose.

The object lesson of the scroll

To drive this point home, God gave Ezekiel a powerful object lesson. He presented the prophet with a scroll written on both the front and back. It’s unusual for that time, as scrolls were typically only written on one side, like Torah scrolls. Legal documents, particularly judgment decrees from magistrates, were sometimes written on both sides.

This scroll likely contained the terms of God’s covenant with Israel on the inside and the violations and penalties on the outside. That explains why Ezekiel described it as containing “lamentations, mourning and woe.”

Then God commanded something extraordinary: Ezekiel was to eat this scroll.

This wasn’t merely a bizarre request. It was a carefully designed object lesson with two crucial purposes that speak directly to our journey of walking in divine calling.

Lesson 1: Be bold in speaking God’s truth

The first lesson from this object lesson is about boldness. When Ezekiel ate the scroll, he discovered that God’s word tasted sweet in his mouth, even though the message contained judgment and difficult truths.

This sweetness wasn’t about the content being pleasant: quite the opposite. The message foretold terrible things that would happen to Israel as judgment for their sins. Yet Ezekiel found comfort in knowing that sharing the word of the Lord is always a good thing, regardless of how people might receive it.

The word of the Lord is sweet because it advances God’s sovereign plan, which is ultimately good. For Israel, these difficult messages were moving them from one stage of judgment to the next, bringing them closer to their Messiah and ultimately to the Kingdom.

Similarly, when God calls us to share difficult truths or stand for biblical principles, we can take comfort in knowing that we’re participating in His good plan. James reminds us to “count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience” (James 1:2-3, NKJV).

Anything that comes to us by the hand of the Lord, including the difficult conversations, the uncomfortable stands we must take, and the worldly approval we might lose, is ultimately good because it’s moving us along a path that brings us closer to Him.

We must maintain this perspective when we’re called to communicate God’s truth, even when it’s something people don’t want to hear or something we ourselves find challenging. After all, a person should know the truth so they can get right with God.

Remember, a person’s initial response to truth isn’t usually a good measure of how that truth will ultimately impact their heart. We need to give time for God’s word to work. Speak in love when led by the Spirit, trust the Lord to do good things with it in time, and even if that person never heeds the lesson, you can know you’ve been faithful to the Lord and His word. That’s the sweetness of God’s word.

Lesson 2: Your faithful obedience, God’s powerful results

The second lesson reveals our small but crucial part in sharing God’s word. In this object lesson, God assigned Ezekiel a specific task: if he was to eat the scroll, he had to open his mouth as the Lord commanded. God was looking for the prophet to take a step of obedience.

Today, we’re likewise expected to fulfil God’s calling when it comes, whether that’s in the office break room, at university, or even in the supermarket checkout queue. We’re not responsible for the outcome, only for our obedience when God asks us to open our mouths.

If we pass those moments by, we’re missing the opportunity to participate in God’s programme for someone’s life. As Paul reminds us:

How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who [a]preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!” (Romans 10:14-15, NKJV)

Consider Jonah’s example. He ran in the opposite direction to avoid speaking God’s word to Israel’s enemies. His disobedience stood in the way of delivering the message to Nineveh, so the Lord “persuaded” Jonah to obey his calling so that the city could hear the message.

But notice something crucial: after Ezekiel opened his mouth, the Lord fed him the scroll. Ezekiel didn’t feed himself. This illustrates that as we obey our calling, the Lord puts His words in our mouths. We don’t have to be eloquent. We don’t have to craft compelling messages on our own. We simply need to speak what God gives us.

The word that we share comes from the Lord, not from our own wisdom or ability.

Living in freedom: Choosing God’s approval over the world’s

Walking in your divine calling means embracing this fundamental truth: God’s approval matters infinitely more than the world’s applause. The freedom that Jesus won for you includes freedom from the exhausting pursuit of human approval and freedom to live boldly in the purpose He’s designed for you.

When we fear people more than we fear God, we’re not walking in freedom. We’re enslaved to their opinions. But when we choose to stand for Christ, speak His truth in love, and obey His calling regardless of the cost, we’re living in the glorious liberty of the children of God.

Your identity in Christ isn’t determined by how well you fit in with the world’s expectations. It’s established by God Himself, sealed by the Holy Spirit, and worked out through your faithful obedience to His calling on your life.

Practical steps for walking in your calling

Daily choose God’s voice over the crowd’s: Each morning, surrender your desire for human approval to the Lord. Ask Him to help you value His opinion above all others.
Prepare for opposition: Expect that standing for Christ will sometimes cost you worldly acceptance. Count this as joy, knowing you’re participating in His purposes.
Trust God with the results: Your job is obedience; God’s job is the outcome. When He prompts you to speak or act, trust that He’ll provide the words and the power.
Remember the sweetness of God’s word: Even difficult truths from Scripture are ultimately good because they advance God’s programme. Find comfort in being faithful to His calling.
Open your mouth when He commands: Don’t miss opportunities to participate in God’s work. Whether in small conversations or significant stands, be ready to obey when He calls.

The eternal impact of faithful obedience

Christians discovering their identity in Christ often face intense pressure to compartmentalise their faith. The world tells us to keep our beliefs private, to avoid making waves, and to prioritise career advancement over spiritual calling.

But God calls us to something far greater. He’s given you a unique purpose that can only be fulfilled when you choose His approval over the world’s acceptance. The eternal impact of your life depends not on how well you fit in, but on how faithfully you walk in the calling He’s placed on your life.

The scroll Ezekiel ate was filled with lamentations, mourning, and woe. Yet it tasted sweet because it represented participation in God’s perfect plan. Similarly, the challenges you face in standing for Christ and walking in your calling may be difficult, but they’re ultimately sweet because they’re moving you and others closer to God’s purposes.

Don’t join the rebellion of those who oppose the Lord by fearing people more than fearing Him. Instead, open your mouth when He commands, trust Him with the results, and discover the incredible freedom that comes from living for an audience of One.

Your calling isn’t just about your career. It’s about your eternal impact. And that impact begins when you choose to value God’s approval over the world’s applause.