1 00:00:02,720 --> 00:00:07,520 Speaker 1: Life Audio. 2 00:00:11,000 --> 00:00:14,120 Speaker 2: Welcome to the Crosswalk devotional. We're glad to have you 3 00:00:14,200 --> 00:00:18,799 Speaker 2: listening with us. Today's topic is on how to please 4 00:00:18,880 --> 00:00:22,880 Speaker 2: God above Man. We'll return with the devotional after a 5 00:00:22,920 --> 00:00:39,920 Speaker 2: brief message from our sponsors. How to Please God Above Man, 6 00:00:40,280 --> 00:00:44,640 Speaker 2: written and read by Kelly Blari. There's a time for everything, 7 00:00:44,800 --> 00:00:48,360 Speaker 2: and a season for every activity under the heavens, a 8 00:00:48,440 --> 00:00:51,360 Speaker 2: time to be born and a time to die, a 9 00:00:51,400 --> 00:00:55,720 Speaker 2: time to plant and a time to uproot Ecclesiastes three 10 00:00:55,960 --> 00:00:59,480 Speaker 2: one to two. I knew if I gave in, the 11 00:00:59,560 --> 00:01:02,360 Speaker 2: argument would be over. Yet I also knew if I 12 00:01:02,400 --> 00:01:07,039 Speaker 2: said you're right, I'd be lying. In reality, there is 13 00:01:07,080 --> 00:01:12,120 Speaker 2: a difference between people pleasing and peacemaking. They are not 14 00:01:12,280 --> 00:01:16,200 Speaker 2: always one and the same. In the past, I'd be 15 00:01:16,240 --> 00:01:19,240 Speaker 2: inclined to lie to keep peace. I'd be inclined to 16 00:01:19,280 --> 00:01:22,520 Speaker 2: brush things under the carpet of don't lift up the 17 00:01:22,600 --> 00:01:27,320 Speaker 2: corner of this rug for anything. To keep everyone happy, 18 00:01:28,600 --> 00:01:32,120 Speaker 2: I'd be inclined to adapt to make sure everyone is okay. 19 00:01:33,600 --> 00:01:37,160 Speaker 2: This is not biblical love, but it verges more towards 20 00:01:37,280 --> 00:01:42,119 Speaker 2: manipulative love. A peasing man is not always the same 21 00:01:42,280 --> 00:01:47,560 Speaker 2: as pleasing the Lord. We must be careful here. There's 22 00:01:47,600 --> 00:01:51,400 Speaker 2: a time for everything under the sun. There is a 23 00:01:51,440 --> 00:01:55,200 Speaker 2: time for everything and a season for every activity under 24 00:01:55,240 --> 00:01:59,000 Speaker 2: the heavens. A time to be born and a time 25 00:01:59,040 --> 00:02:02,720 Speaker 2: to die, a time to plant and a time to 26 00:02:02,840 --> 00:02:08,720 Speaker 2: uproot Ecclesiastes three one to two. There is a time 27 00:02:08,760 --> 00:02:12,480 Speaker 2: to speak truth and a time to be quiet. There 28 00:02:12,520 --> 00:02:15,680 Speaker 2: is a time to bring clarity and a time to listen. 29 00:02:16,600 --> 00:02:18,800 Speaker 2: There is a time to defend and a time to 30 00:02:18,840 --> 00:02:22,160 Speaker 2: back off. There is a time to pray, and there 31 00:02:22,240 --> 00:02:26,760 Speaker 2: is a time to say things. Jesus didn't always back away. 32 00:02:27,480 --> 00:02:31,280 Speaker 2: Sometimes he spoke truth. He called out the Pharisees and 33 00:02:31,280 --> 00:02:34,600 Speaker 2: told them the truth. When they fought him, he said 34 00:02:34,680 --> 00:02:39,040 Speaker 2: forgive them aloud. When he was being crucified, he addressed 35 00:02:39,080 --> 00:02:43,680 Speaker 2: the pharisees lack of mercy with a straightforward address. He 36 00:02:43,840 --> 00:02:47,560 Speaker 2: powerfully used his words and actions to drive the merchants 37 00:02:47,600 --> 00:02:50,840 Speaker 2: out of the temple. The list goes on and on. 38 00:02:51,880 --> 00:02:55,639 Speaker 2: Jesus did not always stay silent. To turn the other 39 00:02:55,760 --> 00:02:59,480 Speaker 2: cheek does not always mean taking it. There is a 40 00:02:59,520 --> 00:03:02,480 Speaker 2: time to say speak up. There's a time not to 41 00:03:02,560 --> 00:03:05,520 Speaker 2: fear man. There is a time to tell the truth. 42 00:03:06,919 --> 00:03:09,640 Speaker 2: The key is to pray and discern what God would 43 00:03:09,680 --> 00:03:15,480 Speaker 2: have you to do. Sometimes things never change because we 44 00:03:15,600 --> 00:03:21,680 Speaker 2: never change our approach. Sometimes ruts continue because we don't 45 00:03:21,720 --> 00:03:27,000 Speaker 2: trust God to equip us with the right words. Sometimes 46 00:03:27,520 --> 00:03:31,920 Speaker 2: habits continue because we fear man more than we believe 47 00:03:32,000 --> 00:03:37,000 Speaker 2: God will help us. Don't mistake fear of man for 48 00:03:37,120 --> 00:03:40,680 Speaker 2: fear of the Lord. The Lord may have you speak 49 00:03:40,760 --> 00:03:44,280 Speaker 2: up louder than the fear of man has ever permitted 50 00:03:44,320 --> 00:03:49,240 Speaker 2: you to. This is not unbiblical. It may be monumental 51 00:03:49,240 --> 00:03:52,640 Speaker 2: in your walk with the Lord. The answer is not 52 00:03:52,800 --> 00:03:57,520 Speaker 2: always silence. Sometimes the way that most pleases God is 53 00:03:57,560 --> 00:04:03,680 Speaker 2: speaking up. Wisdom is knowing the difference lying is sinning, 54 00:04:04,640 --> 00:04:10,320 Speaker 2: even if it is pursuing peacemaking. The question is how 55 00:04:10,320 --> 00:04:16,600 Speaker 2: to be true while being godly and loving. Sometimes this 56 00:04:16,720 --> 00:04:20,520 Speaker 2: requires pausing to seek God for what needs to be said. 57 00:04:21,520 --> 00:04:25,800 Speaker 2: Other times it may require praying to get a couple 58 00:04:25,800 --> 00:04:30,240 Speaker 2: of levels deeper than what is on the surface. The 59 00:04:30,360 --> 00:04:33,640 Speaker 2: ultimate key is to respond to a person from God's 60 00:04:33,640 --> 00:04:38,960 Speaker 2: will and not to react from our own. Intersecting faith 61 00:04:39,040 --> 00:04:43,880 Speaker 2: in life, how do you tend to react? Do you 62 00:04:44,000 --> 00:04:48,440 Speaker 2: negate your feelings? Do you cover over truth to keep peace? 63 00:04:49,680 --> 00:04:52,440 Speaker 2: How might God be leading you in a new direction. 64 00:04:56,960 --> 00:05:00,280 Speaker 1: The Crosswalk Devotional is a production of Life Audio and 65 00:05:00,360 --> 00:05:04,239 Speaker 1: Salem Media. If you liked what you heard today, please 66 00:05:04,279 --> 00:05:06,640 Speaker 1: take a second to rate and review this podcast in 67 00:05:06,720 --> 00:05:10,080 Speaker 1: your favorite podcast app so that more listeners like you 68 00:05:10,400 --> 00:05:15,280 Speaker 1: can find the show. For more faith filled inspirational podcasts, 69 00:05:15,920 --> 00:05:25,520 Speaker 1: visit us at life audio dot com.