Popularity is a phenomenon that has always been present in society. People naturally gravitate towards those who are popular or influential to find acceptance or admiration. But what does the Bible say about popularity? The Bible, which many people refer to for wisdom and guidance, offers profound insight into this contemporary issue. It presents a unique perspective that often challenges the common views and norms about popularity prevalent in our society.
What Does the Bible Teach About Popularity?
The Bible advises not to seek popularity for its own sake. It highlights that true worth comes not from public acclaim but from one’s character and inherent worth as a creation of God. The Bible implicitly discourages seeking human approval and instead encourages its readers to focus on being accepted and respected by God. It is a fundamental understanding in the Bible that God’s appraisal of an individual is not influenced by their popularity among humans.
Why Are Biblical Views on Popularity Irrelevant to Worldly Standards?
The biblical views on popularity often seem contradictory to worldly standards. The modern world often equates popularity with success, whereas the Bible does not. Instead, it places emphasis on virtues such as kindness, humility, honesty, and love. These are traits not always associated with popularity in the conventional sense. Moreover, the Bible also expresses the importance of being truthful and righteous, even if it means going against the popular opinion.
Where Should One Seek Acceptance According to the Bible?
According to the Bible, one should seek acceptance and validation not from others but from God. Popularity among humans is fleeting and often based on superficial attributes. However, God’s acceptance is eternal and based on one’s heart and integrity. It is a recurring theme in the Bible that God looks at the heart rather than one’s outward appearance or social standing. Therefore, one should seek to be popular in God’s eyes rather than human’s.
Who Are the Real Heroes in the Bible?
The heroes in the Bible are often not those who were popular or influential in their societies. Instead, they were ordinary individuals who showed unwavering faith in God and practiced righteousness even when it was unpopular. They valued obedience to God over worldly recognition. These biblical figures serve as examples to people who are often pressurized by societal norms and popular opinions.
When Does Popularity Become a Hindrance According to the Bible?
Popularity becomes a hindrance when it leads to pride and arrogance, according to the Bible. It is detrimental when it takes precedence over humility, kindness, and righteousness – virtues upheld by the Bible. Popularity can often lead to compromise in one’s values and principles. The Bible warns against such behaviour, reminding its readers that the pursuit of popularity should never supersede the aspiration to be good and godly.
Below is our full list of bible verses on popularity (King James Version – KJV) provided in ranked order.
Most Popular Bible Verses About Popularity
Luke 9:25
“25 For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?”
Proverbs 13:20
“20 He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.”
Related Themes: Criticism Peer Pressure Dating Friendship Reputation
Romans 12:2
“2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
Related Themes: Complaining Lust Creativity Attitude Business
Luke 14:7-14
“7 And he put forth a parable to those which were bidden, when he marked how they chose out the chief rooms; saying unto them,8 When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room; lest a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him;9 And he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room.10 But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee.11 For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.12 Then said he also to him that bade him, When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbours; lest they also bid thee again, and a recompence be made thee.13 But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind:14 And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.”
Luke 6:26
“26 Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.”
Related Themes: Pleasing God
Galatians 1:10
“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.”
Related Themes: Pleasing God Peer Pressure Dating Manipulation Opinions
Proverbs 29:25
“25 The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe.”
Related Themes: Fear Omnipotence Reputation Pleasing God Omnipresence
1 Samuel 16:7
“7 But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.”
Related Themes: Pride Self-Esteem Criticism Vanity Heart
Proverbs 18:24
“24 A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.”
Related Themes: Friendship Loneliness Loyalty Dating Family
James 4:4
“4 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.”
Related Themes: Lust Dating Social Justice Adultery Morality
Proverbs 29:23
“23 A man’s pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit.”
Related Themes: Pride Humility Bitterness Sports Respecting Your Parents
2 Samuel 3:36
“36 And all the people took notice of it, and it pleased them: as whatsoever the king did pleased all the people.”
Related Themes: Loyalty
Proverbs 3:1-4
“1 My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments:2 For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.3 Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart:4 So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.”
Related Themes: Discernment Trust Respecting Your Parents Reputation Success
John 15:18-25
“18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.20 Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.21 But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me.22 If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin.23 He that hateth me hateth my Father also.24 If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father.25 But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause.”
Related Themes: Persecution Rejection Hate Persecution
1 Peter 5:8
“8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:”
Related Themes: Lust Business Addiction Satan Self-Control
Philippians 2:3-4
“3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.”
Related Themes: Pride Humility Respecting Your Parents
Proverbs 14:20
“20 The poor is hated even of his own neighbour: but the rich hath many friends.”
Related Themes: Greed
Romans 8:28
“28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
Related Themes: Suffering Frustration Sovereignty Complaining Life
Mark 15:15
“15 And so Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto them, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged him, to be crucified.”
Related Themes: Peer Pressure
Luke 16:15
“15 And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.”
Related Themes: Abomination Business Hypocrisy Competition Heart
Romans 12:3
“3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.”
Proverbs 25:27
“27 It is not good to eat much honey: so for men to search their own glory is not glory.”
Related Themes: Pride Food Moderation Overeating Gluttony
John 5:44
“44 How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?”
Related Themes: Pleasing God Ambition
Ephesians 6:6-7
“6 Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;7 With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men:”
Related Themes: Pleasing God Integrity Heart
Luke 16:19-25
“19 There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.”
Related Themes: Hell Afterlife Money Materialism Restoration
Proverbs 19:4
“4 Wealth maketh many friends; but the poor is separated from his neighbour.”
Related Themes: Homelessness Poverty
Galatians 5:10
“10 I have confidence in you through the Lord, that ye will be none otherwise minded: but he that troubleth you shall bear his judgment, whosoever he be.”
Related Themes: Strife Lust Self Confidence Peer Pressure
2 Peter 3:16
“16 As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.”
Related Themes: Foundation
Isaiah 48:10-11
“10 Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.11 For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it: for how should my name be polluted? and I will not give my glory unto another.”
Related Themes: Gold
1 John 4:6
“6 We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.”
Related Themes: Telling The Truth Truth
