John 12:43 - Where should I look for praise?

"for they loved praise from men more than praise from God." (John 12:43, NIV)

"Hello, my name is Mark McIntyre and I love praise from men more than I love praise from God." This would be my opening statement at a 12 Step meeting for Praiseaholics.

I must own that this is true of me more often that I would like to admit. I see from the record of Christendom that I am not alone.

Perhaps this is a question that we should ask when making decisions. "Am I doing this to get praise from men, or am I doing this as an act of worship?" Is my motivation to please God or to get a pat on the back?

To have the pleasure of God as my motivation requires that I am yielded to the leading of the Holy Spirit. So not only is this an issue of motivation, it is also an issue of who is in control.

The problem is that I like being in control. Or, more correctly, my flesh, my sinful nature, likes being in control. This too, is something that I share with the rest of humanity going all the way back to our first parents and the choice they made in the Garden.

So, do I yield myself to God and allow myself to be used for his glory or do I pursue my own ends? I choose the former but often fall into the latter. As I have grown the ratio has shifted toward yielding, but I am a long way from where God or I would like me to be. May today provide more evidence of the shift toward yieldedness.