Do Not Worry About Your Reputation

But Thou, O Lord, art a shield about me, my glory, and the One who lifts my head. (Psalm 3:3)

Few people live such an isolated and benign existence that they don’t constantly feel the pressures and demands of life. Responsibilities of family, education, and work force us into relationships with people and subject us to circumstances that create tensions and stress.

I often think of the panic attacks we experienced among a massive mob of screaming people in Indonesia or India and the anxiety that comes from feeling out of control. The picture of “ten thousands of people who have set themselves against me” (v. 6) is real as I recall congested crowds of people in the marketplaces of Asia. The task of reaching a lost world is overwhelming when we realize that millions of Muslims, Buddhists, and Hindus are set in opposition against our evangelistic witness.

Daily problems that are common to life can be just as formidable as the literal opposition of an adversary. They create self-doubts and a feeling of futility that there is no solution or way of deliverance. Writing assignments, school lessons, or travel schedules may pile up, eliminating balance and margin in life, imposing frustration and robbing us of a sense of peace and well-being. But the psalmist gives assurance that when we cry to the Lord, He hears us and saves us, not just in the sense of redeeming us from sin but from situations and attitudes that would rob Him of His glory.

The Lord is our shield and our glory. I have been through many times of criticism and attacks, but often an impermeable shield seemed to surround me and kept me from being touched or affected by the fiery darts that were intended to hurt. Those who set themselves against me did not diminish, but their attacks did not harm me, my reputation, or my security in the Lord.

This came as a result of a commitment to maintain fellowship with the Father. I gloried in Him and His promises in times when it seemed that was all I had. I found that He was the One who did not allow me to become bowed down under the burden and weight of attacks, but He “lift[ed] my head” (v. 3) and kept me walking in confidence and faith with my head held high. It is not our performance or what we do but God who gives status and respect.

The beautiful promise of this Psalm is the assurance we can lie down and sleep because God is our shield and glory. There is no cause for restless, sleepless nights with troubling thoughts swirling in our minds. We sleep in peace and awaken refreshed and with assurance, for He is the One who sustains us. We are reminded judgment belongs to the Lord. He will take care of the wicked. The battle is not ours. God’s role is salvation and deliverance. His desire is for His people to be blessed.

Prayer: Lord, I seem to be surrounded by so many conflicts and controversies. I feel so vulnerable as they attack my mind, creating pressures that overwhelm me. Thank You for being a shield around me today. Surround me with Your presence that I can sleep in peace, and allow me to be touched only by that which will draw me closer to You. Allow me to see Your faithfulness and deliverance that all I do may bring glory to You.