Leonard Ravenhill (1907-1994) was a British born preacher and author most famous for his classic book Why Revival Tarries. It was my great privilege to become a close friend of his the last 5 years of his life, although it was quite daunting as well, given the 48 years that separated us.
Among his pithy and penetrating quotes was this: “The man who is intimate with God will never be intimidated by man.” And this, which came to mind today while counseling a friend: “No one can change God’s opinion about you except you.”
How liberating this is!
To be sure, as human beings, we thrive on acceptance, on being part of a family or group or movement or cause.
Rejection stings. Misunderstandings are painful.
And when someone lies about us or misjudges us, we want to set the record straight.
That is human nature.
But in the end, as much as we want people to like us, as much as we want to defend ourselves against false charges (and there are times when it is right to stand up and set the record straight), what matters most is how God feels about us. Everything else pales in comparison....