Galatians 1:10

Galatians 1

10 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.

Whose approval do you seek? Who do you try and impress? Are you looking to be approved by your friends? By your parents? By someone of the opposite sex? Your boyfriend, girlfriend, or spouse? The only approval that matters, is God’s.

Paul says that if he were trying to please man, he would not be a servant of Christ. If you are living your life to please other people or to find their approval, you are not living for God. How can this be?

You may think that because the person you are trying to please is a Christian, and since they want you to read your Bible, go to church, grow closer to God, etc., that it isn’t dangerous to seek their approval because you are doing things that please God too. Wrong. Your motives are wrong… If your sacrifice to God is for the approval or attention of others, its not acceptable to God. He says you have your reward already- the approval and praise of man.

Other times, the person you are trying to please pulls you off course. Maybe they are in sin but you don’t want to address it because it risks hurting their feelings or them rejecting you. You are putting them before God. Maybe they distract you, occupy too much of your thought life, or make you focus on something other than pursuing God wholeheartedly. You cannot live to please them while also living to please God.

The Bible compares the Christian life to a race. Imagine you are running a race and Christ is at the finish line. You are doing everything you can to reach Him (please Him, become like Him). There are people running this race with you (friends, mentors, spouses, etc). If you turn towards the people running with you or towards the people on the sidelines and start catering to their requests, rather than focusing on what Christ commands, you will veer off the course. ---Your goal should be God’s approval, not man’s. Judge ALL of your actions and choices off of His standards, no one else’s. Love Him and Love Others for His glory, not your own.