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The Weekly Word: Who are you trying to please?

For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.

— Galatians 1:10 (ESV)

The Weekly Word: Who are you trying to please?
Pastor Coulter Page, Bethany Alliance Church
By Coulter Page, Pastor, Bethany Alliance Church

Thursday was my birthday. What happens on your birthday? My wife and kids do an amazing job of making me feel special every birthday. They go out of their way to try to make all my wishes come true. They spend the day pleasing me.

Do you do that for people in your life? Do you use their birthdays as an opportunity to please them?

I hope you do have some people in your life like that. But let me ask you this, is your whole life spent trying to please people? Do you do all you can to give people around you exactly what they want? If that is you, let me just say, that’s not healthy or Biblical.

Paul makes it very clear at the beginning of Galatians that his purpose in life was not to just please people. He knew people who did this. He knew people went so far into pleasing people that they were even changing the message of the Gospel.

And he said that was no good. It was no good to make sure you were always just making people happy. It won’t work. It will distort Jesus. And it will leave you in a very unhealthy place.

Birthdays are great. It is good and fun to make people feel special on that day. But don’t spend your life pleasing people. Instead of being a people pleaser, become a God pleaser.

For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God?  Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.

— Galatians 1:10 (ESV)

Prayer

Father, I admit that at times I spend my life just trying to please people and in the end I distort you. Help me to start living my life for your pleasure and not others. Help me to represent the Gospel well. Amen.

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