Ezekiel Chapter 2: Verses 4-6 (NIV)
The people to whom I am sending you are obstinate and stubborn. Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says.’ And whether they listen or fail to listen—for they are a rebellious people—they will know that a prophet has been among them. And you, son of man, do not be afraid of them or their words. Do not be afraid, though briers and thorns are all around you and you live among scorpions. Do not be afraid of what they say or be terrified by them, though they are a rebellious people.
Later on in this chapter, God told Ezekiel the people wouldn’t listen to him because actually they didn’t want to listen to God. He told Ezekiel that the most important thing for him to do was to say whatever God told him. It wasn’t Ezekiel’s problem whether the people listened to him or not. He was simply to concern himself with being obedient. If he did this, it would be obvious to those round about that he was a prophet and man of God, but the people would have to make their own decisions about what they heard.
We don’t need to get over-anxious about what other people think about how we live out our faith and what we believe. God wants us to be more concerned about being obedient to Him as Ezekiel was. If we do so, people should be able to recognise the hand of God on us, through the Holy Spirit working through us. Its not our responsibility to make people believe in God. We can’t do that; only the Holy Spirit can. That takes the pressure off us, doesn’t it? If we just concern ourselves with what God tells us to do, He is able to take care of everything else. What people think of the way we live and what we believe is not our problem.
Dear Lord,
Help me not to be concerned about what people think of how I live and what I believe. I need to remember that I need to concern myself with pleasing You. Thank You that I don’t need to be concerned with things too great for me, as the Psalmist tells us. I’m grateful to be able to leave things in Your hands. Thank You. Amen.