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Have you ever been celebrated one moment and criticized the next? Have people’s opinion of you changed overnight? Moreover, the apostle Paul lived this experience in one of the most dramatic reversals recorded in the Bible.
His story offers a powerful reminder of where our true worth comes from, an Opinion to consider. Why chasing people’s approval is a losing game.
What Happened to Paul in Lystra?
In Acts 14, Paul and Barnabas are in the city of Lystra when they encounter a man who has been lame from birth. He has never walked a single day in his life. Paul looks at him and says, “Stand up on your feet.” And the man does not just stand. He jumps up and begins walking around.
The crowd goes wild. They start shouting in their native Lycaonian language that the gods have come down to them in human form. They call Barnabas “Zeus” and Paul “Hermes.” The priest of Zeus even brings out oxen and garlands, ready to offer sacrifices to them.
Paul is horrified. He tears his clothes, runs into the crowd, and pleads with them to stop. His message is clear: “We are just men like you. We are here to tell you to turn from these worthless things to the living God.”
How Opinion Can Quickly Turn
Now look at what happens next. Verse 19 tells us that some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium. They spread rumors and stirred up the crowd. The very same people who wanted to worship Paul picked up stones and stoned him. They dragged him outside the city and left him for dead.
One minute a Greek God. The next minute, stoned in the street.
As Acts 14:19 records it: “But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and having persuaded the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead.” – Acts 14:19 English Standard Version (ESV)
That is how fast public opinion can shift. The crowd that sings your praises today can be the crowd that tears you down tomorrow.
Why You Cannot Build Your Life on People’s Approval
This is not just a Bible story. It is a pattern that plays out in everyday life. You pour yourself into a job, a relationship, a ministry, or a community. You do the right thing. You serve with integrity. And instead of gratitude, you get criticism. Instead of loyalty, you get betrayal.
People’s opinions are unstable. They shift with circumstances, rumors, and emotions. What someone thinks of you today may have nothing to do with who you actually are. Basing your sense of worth on how others see you is like building a house on sand.
Paul understood this deeply. He wrote in Galatians 1:10: “For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.” – Galatians 1:10 English Standard Version (ESV)
That verse is a gut check. If your primary goal is to make people happy, you will compromise the very things God has called you to do.
What Does Facing Resistance in God’s Work Look Like?
When you do the work of the Lord, resistance is part of the journey. You will face jealousy. You will be misunderstood. You will sometimes be criticized simply for telling the truth. Paul experienced all of it, and he kept going anyway.
This does not mean you will always be treated unfairly. But it does mean that doing the right thing does not guarantee a standing ovation. Sometimes it earns you a stone.
The question is not whether resistance will come. The question is what you do when it does.
What Did Paul Do After Being Stoned?
This is where the story gets remarkable. After being stoned and dragged out of the city and left for dead, verse 20 tells us that the disciples gathered around Paul and he got up. He went back into the city. The next day, he left for Derbe and preached the gospel there.
He got up. He kept going.
There is no record of Paul sitting outside the city gates feeling sorry for himself. There is no record of him plotting revenge or demanding an apology. He simply got up and continued the work he was called to do.
How to Keep Going When People Let You Down
If you are feeling worn down by other people’s opinions right now, here are a few things worth holding onto:
- Refocus your eyes on God, not on the crowd. What God thinks of you is far more important than what people think of you. His love does not shift with the wind.
- Check your motives, not your reviews. If you are doing your best and your heart is right before God, you do not need to earn the crowd’s approval to keep moving forward.
- Remember that people’s opinions are temporary. The same crowd that called Paul a God called for His death hours later. Human praise is fleeting. God’s truth is not.
- Get back up. Paul did not stay down. Neither should you. The work is not finished just because someone knocked you down.
What God’s Opinion of You Actually Means
God’s view of you is not based on how many people clap for you. It is not based on whether your efforts are recognized or rewarded by others. He sees your faithfulness. He sees your heart. He sees you getting back up after being knocked down.
That is what matters. Not the crowd’s applause. Not their criticism. His love for you does not change based on what others say about you.
Life Application
This week, pay attention to how much mental and emotional energy you spend thinking about what others think of you. Notice when you hold back from doing the right thing because you are afraid of how it will be received. Notice when criticism from others causes you to question your worth or your calling.
Then make a deliberate choice to redirect that energy toward God. Serve faithfully this week without looking for recognition. Do the right thing even if no one notices. And if someone criticizes you unfairly, choose to get back up and keep going rather than staying down.
Ask yourself these questions as you go through your week:
- Am I making decisions based on what God is calling me to do, or based on what will earn me the most approval from others?
- Is there an area of my life where I have stopped moving forward because of someone else’s criticism or rejection?
- What would it look like for me to “get back up” this week, the way Paul did after being stoned?
Keep serving God. Keep loving people. And do not get caught up in the emptiness of people’s praises.