"Wimps Need Not Apply"

2nd Kings 9:20; 10.17 NIV

“The driving is like that of Jehu son of Nimshi — he drives like a madman.” “When Jehu came to Samaria, he killed all who were left there of Ahab’s family; he destroyed them, according to the word of the Lord spoken to Elijah.”

Jehu was a madman, and he drove like one. The guy was brutal and had no fear. Jehu assassinated both kings of Israel and Judah. He ordered Jezebel thrown to her death from the top of the royal palace. He called for the heads of Ahab’s seventy direct descendants, placed them in baskets, and dumped them in two piles at the city gate. “Jehu killed all who remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel… until he left him without a survivor” (2nd Kings 10.11).

He slaughtered every follower of Baal and, after destroying their temple, Jehu “made it a latrine to this day” (2nd Kings 10.27). Jehu single-handedly eradicated false worship in Israel and served justice to the house of wicked Ahab. In so doing, he fulfilled “the word of the LORD which He spoke to Elijah” (2nd Kings 10.17).

Mad though he was, Jehu commanded the respect of those around him. He ruthlessly fulfilled the mission of the Lord. Nothing stopped him. Jehu was anything but politically correct. He cared not one bit of what others thought of him. He was fearless and focused.

The American church could use a dose of the Jehu spirit. Many modern Christians are more concerned with making a good impression than with making a real difference. ‘Being nice’ ranks right up there with serving Christ. The common church-goer is more dedicated to etiquette than ethics. Doing things the right way has superseded doing the right things. Being liked is often more important than being Christ-like.

Getting man’s approval at any cost is the modern form of Baal worship... and it’s rampant in the pews. 

“Woe to you when all men speak well of you.” 
Luke 6.26

“All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” 
2nd Timothy 3.12

“If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ.” 
Galatians 1.10

“Whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” 
James 4.4

Only God’s approval matters. The people whose approval you think you need really don’t matter at all. We have a mission to fulfill. It’s the Great Co-mission issued by Jesus and recorded for all time in the book of Mark, chapter 16, verse 15: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” That’s the believer’s job description and it’s not for the faint of heart. Wimps need not apply.

We need a dose of spirit of Jehu. We must drive “like a madman” to that sacred place in our souls called the Temple of Public Opinion. This is where we make daily offerings to the god of people-pleasing. We must get tough (maybe even go a little mad) and destroy that temple! It is impossible to cling to the opinion of others and serve Christ with total abandon. It’s time to kill and bury for good our need to be liked.

The Christian man or woman must develop the force of character to violently eradicate all remnants of the pursuit of human approval. We need only the approval of God to take His kingdom on earth by storm. We need a dose of the spirit of Jehu.

“From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of

heaven suffers violence, and violent men take it by force.

Matthew 11.12 NASU

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