Who Is Fooling Who?

September 5, 2026
SEPTEMBER 2026 TEMPLE DIGEST

Not everyone clapping for you means it. Don’t be fooled by outward appearances. People clap for different reasons. Some clap because they love you. They celebrate your strides and want you to keep winning. Hold such people close; they are your genuine cheerleaders. Then some clap to fit in. It’s not about you. It’s about not being left out. Their attitude is: Everyone is clapping; why shouldn’t I? Everyone is doing this; I might as well do the same to fit in. They are just following the tide; when the tide changes, they’ll change too. Don’t be fooled by these bandwagon clappers or follow-follow clappers. You mean little or nothing to them. Then some clap so you’ll see them, so that when they come to ask for something, you won’t say no. Their clap has a price tag. These are transactional clappers. The most dangerous are those who clap the loudest with one hand and stab with the other. Psalm 55:21 clearly describes these kinds of clappers: “His words were smoother than butter, yet war was in his heart.” Dangerous clappers are everywhere. They are in families, churches, schools, organizations, and in government. May we not fall for dangerous clappers.

We make costly mistakes when we can’t tell which clap is which. We make wrong hires, enter into wrong partnerships, and wrong relationships when we judge by outward appearances only.

Look at what happened to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. On Sunday the crowd shouted: “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Matthew 21:9). By Friday, the same crowd, the same voices, shouted something completely different; they shouted: “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!” (Matthew 27:22).

Outward appearance can be misleading if one lacks discernment. Jesus was never deceived by outward appearances. As stated in John 2:24-25, “Jesus did not entrust Himself to them, for He knew what was in man.” Jesus knew those who followed Him merely for food (John 6:26). He knew those who would go to any extent to be with Him to get a miracle, only to abandon Him afterward (John 6:66). Jesus knew when a kiss was a betrayal rather than an expression of affection, when a kiss was a tactic used to hand Him over to His enemies (Matthew 26:47-49). He also understood those who genuinely loved Him and wanted to serve and follow Him, even though they were still growing and had weaknesses to overcome (Luke 22:54-62, John 21:15-17).

What about you and me? How sharp and sensitive is our discernment? Do we easily get fooled by outward appearances? The heart of man is indeed deceitful above all things and desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9). However, this doesn’t mean we should go through life being suspicious of everyone. Jesus wasn’t suspicious of people; he was discerning. There is a significant difference between the two.

What this means is that we should seek God’s approval over and above man’s approval and applause. We shouldn’t let praise get to our heads, and we shouldn’t allow criticism to injure our hearts. Some criticisms are constructive; some are harmful and damaging. Knowing that man is full of complexities and contradictions, and cannot be easily figured out, we must always commit our ways to God (Proverbs 3:5-6) and go to Him to train our spiritual senses so we don’t look and act on only outward appearance (1 Samuel 16:7).

When children participate in inter-house sports or any games, it doesn’t matter if their house master, team, or entire house is clapping for them; the one clap they truly desire is that of their parent. Similarly, as we go through life, we should strive for the applause that truly matters, the clap that comes with the words, “Well done, my good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:23).

A ship without an anchor is open to danger and trouble. There’s nothing to hold it steady and keep it from drifting. A life without Christ as a daily anchor lacks stability and clear direction. Jesus leads us by His Holy Spirit, His written Word, our inner witness and godly counsel. The more we anchor in Christ, the less we’re fooled by masks. The wiser our decisions become.