I was listening again to Jason Upton’s “Whistle in Your Will,” which I wrote about at the beginning of the month. Toward the end of the song, his voice breaks a little and takes on a rough quality; in that moment when he was most tired and all his effort was nearly spent, he sang, “Break off that man-pleasing spirit.”
In times prior when I’d heard that line (even before I’d ever heard this particular song I’d recognized it as a phrase used by other teachers), I had one way of interpreting it: to forsake the desire to please people and shine before others’ eyes and instead follow after the pleasure of God, the will of God, at the cost of being undignified before men and reviled by the world and persecuted by my enemy. And this isn’t an incorrect way to interpret the line. But tonight, as I was listening, I recognized a new meaning. The man-pleasing spirit I’d submitted myself to was a spirit of self-gratification; my sin wasn’t in my pride before other men, but internal, in my lust for things to make myself, as we say, “feel good.” When I heard Jason’s voice uttering that line through my speakers again tonight, I knew that the Spirit was singing to me. I need to break off this man-pleasing, Philip-pleasing spirit that I’ve let invade my heart and mind. I can’t let these words be idle. Whether it’s gratifying myself or others, nothing can come at the expense of the will of God!
More on this later. I need to jump out for a bit. I’ll blog late into the night. Toodles.
In times prior when I’d heard that line (even before I’d ever heard this particular song I’d recognized it as a phrase used by other teachers), I had one way of interpreting it: to forsake the desire to please people and shine before others’ eyes and instead follow after the pleasure of God, the will of God, at the cost of being undignified before men and reviled by the world and persecuted by my enemy. And this isn’t an incorrect way to interpret the line. But tonight, as I was listening, I recognized a new meaning. The man-pleasing spirit I’d submitted myself to was a spirit of self-gratification; my sin wasn’t in my pride before other men, but internal, in my lust for things to make myself, as we say, “feel good.” When I heard Jason’s voice uttering that line through my speakers again tonight, I knew that the Spirit was singing to me. I need to break off this man-pleasing, Philip-pleasing spirit that I’ve let invade my heart and mind. I can’t let these words be idle. Whether it’s gratifying myself or others, nothing can come at the expense of the will of God!
More on this later. I need to jump out for a bit. I’ll blog late into the night. Toodles.
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