Pastor’s Corner: “Pleasing God or People Pleasing?”
Galatians 1:10 (NIV) – 10 Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.
Over the years I have realized a few things about myself: (1) I have a huge desire to please people; (2) trying to please everyone all the time is impossible; (3) I still want to do it; and lastly, (4) this is a one-way ticket on the crazy train. Are you riding the crazy train?
I have been known to make up scenarios and conversations in my head about what I believe people are thinking about me when I think I have disappointed them. I also like to reimagine conversations that I think have gone poorly. I like to call these “Conversation do-overs.” Sadly, I am much more brilliant in my do-over conversations than I am in real-life conversations.
I am convinced that this is not the way that Jesus meant for us to live. Because that is not how He lived. Jesus only cared about what One “person” thought about Him. His Dad. Everything Jesus did revolved around what His Dad wanted, what He liked, what He valued, what He had asked Jesus to do.
When you’re always worried about what other people think of you, you can’t be what God wants you to be. Luke 16:13 (NIV) – No one can serve two masters. But, when you learn to think like Jesus, you won’t worry about pleasing everyone. Jesus had the right focus. He was only concerned with pleasing God. Jesus was never manipulated by crowds or by the approval or the disapproval of anybody else. He lived for an audience of one: “I try to please the One who sent me” (John 5:30 NCV).
When you have the mind of Christ, that’s what you do. Philippians 2:5 (ESV) – 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus – 1 Corinthians 2:16 (NLT) – 16 For, “Who can know the Lord’s thoughts? Who knows enough to teach him?” But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ. You and I have access to the mind of Christ through our helper and advocate: Holy Spirit.
Wouldn’t it simplify your life to live for an audience of one? If God is pleased with what you’re doing, then you know you’re doing the right thing. God says in Matthew 3:17 (NIV) – This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased). Jesus was obviously doing it right.
The truth is, you can’t please everybody. Even God can’t please everybody – fortunately God’s purpose is not to please us, but to save us! When someone prays for it to be sunny, somebody else is praying for it to rain. Somebody is praying for their team to do well, and someone else wants the opposing team to win. You can’t please everybody.
1 Thessalonians 2:4 (NIV) – 4 On the contrary, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts. You have to decide whose approval you’re going to seek—God’s approval or other people’s approval. Are you going to live for what other people think or what God thinks? When you’re always looking for validation from other people, it means you don’t really realize who you are. You don’t understand what God made you to do or believe that he is always with you.
Jesus never let someone else’s approval or fear of rejection control Him. He wasn’t out to win a popularity contest. He didn’t need other people’s opinions to validate himself. When you have the mind of Christ, you will be so secure in your identity, your purpose, and God’s presence in your life that you won’t need to look to other people for approval.
Dear Lord, thank you for giving us Your Spirit and Your Mind – please help us to walk, see, hear and speak in ways that please our Father in heaven alone. Help us to live for an audience of one!
In His Grace,
Pastor Hamilton