Galatians 1:10 – For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.

Paul’s idea was not “I want to persuade God to my point of view.” The idea is that God was his audience. When he spoke, he spoke first to God and not to man. His first obligation was to please God and not to please men. He refused to shape his message just to please his audience. He was more concerned about pleasing God. Something all of us should be more concerned with in this life. There have always been preachers who have sought popular acclaim above all else, and there are some still. It is part of fallen human nature that even those charged with the responsibility of proclaiming the gospel can fall into the trap of trying to be popular rather than faithful. For Paul it was one or the other. He could not direct his ministry towards pleasing men and at the same time direct it towards pleasing Jesus Christ. And if his concern was not first to please Jesus Christ, then he was not a bondservant of Christ.

Challenge:

Of course, you want to please God. Then, you need to do what is right in the eyes of the Lord. Pleasing others is a losing battle, that no one can win, no matter how hard you try. But, pleasing the Lord is accomplished by obeying His word and listening to His guidence given by the Holy Spirit. Your challenge this week is to not be a people pleaser, and strive to be a God pleaser. Do not compromise what you know is right in order to ‘fit in’ with others. God was well pleased with His beloved Son because Jesus always obeyed His Fathers wishes. You, too, are a beloved child of God, strive to be in total obedience to your Heavenly Father. When one of your co-workers asks you to go to an activity, you know would be displeasing to the Lord, gracefully decline the invitation. If cutting corners to gain financial advancement presents itself to you this week, resist that temptation to compromise and trust that the Lord will supply all your monetary needs, without sacrificing your integrity. God is seeking men and women, like Paul, who are more concerned about pleasing Him than pleasing anyone in this world. God bless you.