“The Applause of Nail-Scarred Hands” by Mark Batterson

eric posted on February 10, 2010

“The Applause of Nail-Scarred Hands” by Mark Batterson

Earlier this week I read an article with one little quip that I cannot get out of my spirit: the only applause we are meant to seek is that of nail-scarred hands.

It was so inspiring and so convicting. We care so much about our reputation. We care so much about our approval ratings. We care so much about what people think. But we need to die to those things. I know this sounds counter-intuitive, but we don’t really care for people until we don’t care what they think. We can’t really help them until we’ve been crucified to their opinions. Only then do we preach with an anointed boldness. I have a distant memory from many years ago when I didn’t feel good about a message and my wise wife asked me a brilliant question: did you say what God wanted you to say? That is the only litmus test when it comes to preaching. Was God pleased with my message? Unfortunately, many of us measure our messages by human applause.

 

May we be deafened to human applause. After all, the only applause we are meant to seek is that of nail-scarred hands.

Join Mark Batterson in the Origins Conference Call Tomorrow at 1pm PST (4pm EST)!

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Mark is the author of several books including, In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day, Wild Goose Chase, and his latest… Primal. Mark also serves as the Lead Pastor of National Community Church in Washington, DC. is on the creative team of the Origins Project.

Last week Mark gave away free copies of Primal through the Origins Newsletter! (Sign up for the Origins Newsletter here)

Listen to previous Conference Calls here.