Okay, last year I confessed that I don’t like pumpkin spice. I’m sorry if you missed that and weren’t prepared for the shock just now. I confessed to buying pumpkin spice coffee every year, almost like I was willing myself to like it. I LOVE all the spices, just not the pumpkin. I’m a huge Chai fan, so I should have caught on to this sooner. I’ve been thinking about what this may reveal about me on a deeper level than coffee. I know, who knew I had a deeper level than coffee?
I asked you, my readers, not to let me do that this year. I proudly report that I have not bought anything pumpkin spice flavored. I feel your affirmation.
You see, what this pumpkin spice revelation has been showing me this year is that there are a lot of things I choose because I like people to be happy with me. Now in general terms, there isn’t really much wrong with wanting to be liked, unless it starts to influence my decisions. (Like buying pumpkin spice coffee when everyone else is, even if I don’t like it.) My trouble comes when I think more about what other people are thinking, the good or the bad, than considering what God is thinking. Do I think about what I could do to please Him as much as I think about what will please everyone else?
When I think this much about other people’s approval, I’m not making very good decisions. Not to mention that trying to please people is an exceedingly large waste of time, that I don’t have.
“For they loved the glory that comes from man
more than the glory that comes from God.” John 12:43
The glory that comes from man is loud and obvious, but the glory that comes from God is quiet and personal.
I’m trying to lead my heart to more of what is quiet and personal. It can be hard to choose, but I’m pretty sure that eternally, the quiet and personal are going to matter a lot more than we tend to value them.
Think about the choices you are making:
What are you doing because it’s expected?
What are you not doing because it isn’t popular or trendy?
How are you letting culture push you around and tell you that valuable means loud
and obvious?
How can you choose today to do something quiet and personal that pleases
the heart of God?
This year I can proudly say, hold the pumpkin; I’m just spicy! I’m going to use every bit of that spice to do what pleases God and brings Him glory.