#32 PLEASING CHRIST INSTEAD OF PEOPLE 8-25-26
One of the greatest spiritual dangers in life is becoming more concerned about pleasing people than pleasing God. We naturally want to be accepted, appreciated, and approved. There is nothing wrong with wanting to be loved, but it is dangerous to allow the opinions of people to become more important to us than the approval of God. Paul asked, “For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men?” Then he gave the answer: “For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ” (Galatians 1:10). Paul understood that a life surrendered to Christ cannot be governed by the desire for human approval.
THE DANGER OF PLEASING PEOPLE
Paul begins by asking, “Do I seek to please men?” (Galatians 1:10). When pleasing people becomes our goal, truth becomes negotiable. We begin asking, “What will they think?” instead of asking, “What does God say?” We become tempted to soften truth, silence conviction, and compromise obedience because we are afraid of rejection. The approval of people can become a prison when we allow their opinions to control our decisions. People change, opinions change, and cultures change, but the Word of God remains forever (Isaiah 40:8). We must never exchange the eternal truth of God for the temporary applause of men.
THE DILEMMA OF PLEASING PEOPLE
He continues, “For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ” (Galatians 1:10). There comes a time when we must choose whose servant we will be. You cannot have two masters. If our highest ambition is to make everyone happy with us, eventually we will be faced with a choice between human approval and divine obedience. Jesus warned that we cannot serve two masters (Matthew 6:24). Faithfulness to Christ will sometimes make us unpopular. Doing what is right will sometimes cost us friendships, applause, opportunities, and acceptance. But it is better to lose the approval of men and have the approval of God than to gain the approval of men and lose our fellowship with Christ.
THE DELIGHT OF PLEASING CHRIST
Paul’s greatest desire was not applause from men but approval from God. He asked, “For do I now persuade men, or God?” (Galatians 1:10). There is tremendous freedom in living for an audience of One. When Christ is the One we are trying to please, we can love people without being controlled by their opinions, speak truth without being paralyzed by their rejection, and serve without demanding recognition. Jesus Himself said, “I always do those things that please Him” (John 8:29). That ought to become the desire of every Christian. Not, “Do people like me?” Not, “Did everybody approve of me?” But, “Did I please my Lord?”
The person who lives to please people will eventually become disappointed, because people can never be satisfied. But the person who lives to please Christ has found a higher calling. We are not called to live for applause. We are called to live for Christ. We are not called to chase approval. We are called to pursue faithfulness. And when the day comes when we stand before Him, the only approval that will ultimately matter is His.
_______________
Father, help me to live for Your approval rather than the applause of people. Give me courage to stand for truth when it is unpopular, humility to serve when no one notices, and faithfulness to obey You when obedience is costly. Keep me from becoming controlled by the opinions of others. Teach me to love people without living for their approval, and help me make pleasing Christ the greatest desire of my life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
BDD
