I ask myself this question a lot, “Am I a Man of God?” Have you ever asked that question?

To be honest, I feel strange answering the question in the affirmative. It seems arrogant in some way. But if we don’t answer in the affirmative it means I am a man of something else. I definitely don’t like that choice. If I can’t answer in the affirmative it means I am a man of others or myself and not of God.

How do I honestly answer this question? Let me start by asking another question, “What do I do when people pull away from me or my projects? Do I run after them and implore them to stay? Do I change what I do in order to make them happy?”

I am often like Saul in the Bible.

Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned. I violated the LORD’s command and your instructions. I was afraid of the people and so I gave in to them. 1 Samuel 15:24 (NIV) (24)  

The back story is that the people were waiting on Samuel the Prophet to come and offer the sacrifice. They grew impatient and wanted Saul to do it even though God did not authorize him to do it. Saul then grew nervous about the people turning against him. When he saw that the people were pulling away from him went ahead and went through the religious motions of offering up a sacrifice without the Lord’s leading. He choose to do what the people wanted instead of what God wanted.  This cost him dearly. He lost his throne and the generations after them lost their place in the palace. Offering the sacrifice was a temporary victory with the people that cost all of his succeeding generations. The throne left Saul and went to David. This was good for David and his family but it was not the original plan.

Point? A man of God doesn’t move because the people want him too no matter how much it costs. Are we God’s man? Our actions will reveal this not what our mouth says.

“You’re only as strong as your ability to be affected by the opinions of others.” – Bill Johnson

What if God asked you to do something that would cost you some friends; or if you are a leader 75% of your followers? You may say He would never do that. That’s not true. He often does exactly that because He does not determine His direction by public opinion surveys. He knows where He is going and He is inviting us to go with Him. The reality is that many times it is just you and Him.

Do we care more about what God thinks of us or man? It’s hard for me to be honest sometimes with this question. What if God asked you to leave your prominent ministry or successful business and go somewhere and start over again?

“When we love our ministry more than Jesus there follows disaster.” – Antonio Rozinni

If our identity and purpose is on our accomplishments, Facebook friend list size, size of ministry, success of business, income levels, or something similar you can rest assure God will ask you to give it up because it is a false identity. I guarantee you that the Lord will work to show us where our false identities are in order to get our identity as a son from Him.

The great men and women of God and business have had to learn to stand when people were opposing them – in a place where there are no applauses except from Him.

“The voice that is the loudest for you is going to be from what you fear the most. What you fear you will worship.” – Bill Johnson

A man of God means you do what God says. That’s it. By opposite inference it means when you don’t do what He says you are not a man of God. I pray that I and a whole army of others will arise as true Men of God!

“A fear of God silences every other fear.” – Bill Johnson