How Do You Like Me Now?
Our title is often a rhetorical question used to express satisfaction with one's own accomplishments, especially after facing skepticism or criticism, or even to brag about success. It does sound boastful, but sometimes one might also use this phrase as they seek validation after achieving a certain level of success in the face of other folk’s doubt. The meaning of the phrase can vary depending on the attitude of the individual and the context, but the core idea is to highlight a personal achievement in the face of previous opposition or underestimation. All, whether they realize or admit it, desire to be liked or appreciated. Often the road to success is filled with others expressing doubt in, or criticizing what you do.
Occasionally, one receives instruction for their own good and fails to realize that the person that delivers the message is really a friend. They are doing you a favor. Would we be appreciative of one who would not tell us how we could improve if the information is sound? When they do tell us what will help us be as we should, do we listen? Do we fail to heed, even when they tell us how it will benefit us? Jesus, in John 8:32, told some folks which already “believed on Him”, things they needed to hear as well as what good it would bring them. He said: “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
How did His listeners react? Read the remainder of that discourse, and it becomes obvious from the context that the Lord was telling them they needed to change. They had allowed sin to envelop them and were in bondage to sin. They were to seek the kingdom of God (the church for which Christ died). After their indignant response, Christ could have asked the question the Spirit had Paul write in Gal. 4:16, to the congregations of the Lord’s church in Galatia. Both Christ and Paul provided their audience the much-needed information whereby they could improve. Paul asked: Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?
As the Spirit had Paul pen the first epistle to the church in Corinth, He, through inspiration, had Paul state a plethora of things the congregation needed to address. A list of what some of them had been or what they had once participated in is found in 1Cor. 6:9-10. However, we see from the verse that follows, that a change had occurred upon hearing, believing and obeying the gospel by baptism into Christ. This was a change that was much needed. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.(1Cor 6:11) They had previously been friends with the world.
In 2Cor. 6:17-18, these same brethren were cautioned against once again becoming friends of and acting like the world. They were told: Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, 18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. In Jas. 4:4, the ‘scattered brethren’ to whom the Spirit had James write were also warned against having an affinity with the world. Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. Rather, as 2Cor. 5:17 shows, a “change” was to have occurred within them when they obeyed the gospel and as they continued to follow the New Testament Word of God. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. This transformation is to be noticeable, and is to be a continual period of growth as long as we live on the earth.
But as we see from1Pet. 4:4, this is not always easy. Those ‘of the world’ might not “like you now”. Some of our family, friends, and former acquaintances won’t readily understand the change. It may cause some to treat us differently. We won’t remain the same as we “once were” and it won’t set well with everyone. Our focus won’t be on the same things it once was, nor on what those of the world focus. Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you: The ones opposed to us, will often voice their displeasure at our change. This is only a part of the difficulties the faithful Christian is likely to face. 2Tim. 3:12 tells us: Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
However, we are not to be discouraged. In 1Thess. 4:1, the Spirit had Paul admonish the brethren in Thessalonica. We also should take comfort from these Words. Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more. When we think about it, the only one of whom we should ask: “How do you like me now?” is the Lord. Isn’t it He whom we are trying to please? We read this in Gal. 1:10 - For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.
Be the servant of Christ and strive to be pleasing to God in accordance with His Word. This is the most important thing in this life.
Dennis Strickland – Mooresville church of Christ