Galatians 1:10 - Living To Please Man Or God?
Galatians 1:10 (NIV) 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 men, I would not be a servant of Christ.
Galatians 1:10 (NLT) Obviously, Im not
trying to win the approval of people, but of God.
If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be
Christs servant.
COMMENTARY PEARL
People-Pleasing Is Idolatry
In life, you have to please only one
person: your Creator. You only have to please the
Lord, the one who made you and has a purpose for
your life.
That simplifies life enormously!
Jesus said, I dont try to please
myself, but I try to please the One who sent me
(John 5:30 NCV). Hes saying, in effect,
Im living for an audience of one.
Did you know that people-pleasing is a
form of idolatry? The first commandment in the
Ten Commandments says, You shall have no
other gods before me (Exodus 20:3 NIV).
Anything you put before God becomes a
god. So a boat could be a god. A career could be
a god. A girlfriend could be a god. Golf could
be a god. Anything that becomes number one in
your life that isnt God becomes your god.
The second commandment is, You must
not make for yourself an idol (Exodus 20:4
NLT). Anything that replaces God in your life is
an idol. Success can be an idol. Money can be
an idol. Sex can be an idol. A relationship can
become an idol. If that relationship to your
spouse, boss, or friend is more important than God,
its an idol.
People pleasers allow other peoples
opinions to take first place in their lives. Those
opinions become a god because they matter more than
Gods opinion. You dont want to tell people
youre a Christian because they might think less of
you. You dont want them to know you go to
church because they may not like you. At that
point, you have another god in your life. You have
made an idol of people-pleasing.
Paul says in Galatians 1:10, Im not
trying to win the approval of people, but of God.
If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be
Christs servant (NLT).
Almost everyone wants to be liked. Its
tempting to want to please other people. But dont
do it at the expense of pleasing God. As a
servant of Christ, you have an audience of one. You
need to only please God. [Daily Devotional by
Rick Warren: https://pastorrick.com/devotional/]
COMMENTARY
Do you spend your life trying to please
everybody? Paul had to speak harshly to the Christians
in Galatia because they were in serious danger.
He did not apologize for his straightforward
words, knowing that he could not serve Christ
faithfully if he allowed the Galatian Christians to
remain on the wrong track. Whose approval are you
seeking - others' or God's? Pray for the courage to
seek God's approval above anyone else's. [Life
Application SB]
At times you will have to make a choice
between pleasing God and pleasing those around you,
for Gods ways are not mans ways (Is
55:8"9). As important as it is to strive for good
relations with others, it is even more important to
maintain a steadfast and obedient relationship with
Christ. Disobeying God to keep peace with other
people is never wise. Peace with God is always
paramount.
Jesus warned that obeying Him might cause
division in your relationships (Mt 10:35"36). If
Pauls primary goal had been to please others, he
would never have become an apostle of Jesus
Christ. Paul went completely against the wishes of
his colleagues in order to obey Christ. At
times, obedience to God sets family members at odds
with each other (Mt 10:35"36). When you follow
Jesus Lordship, your family may misunderstand, or
even oppose you, yet your obedience to God
reflects your identity as His child. Jesus said that
those who obey His will are His brothers and
sisters (Lu 8:21). God does not intend to divide the
home, but He places obedience before domestic
harmony.
It is important to get alone in quietness
with God so that you understand what pleases Him.
The worlds thinking will mislead you more
easily when you are not clear about what God
desires. It broke Peters heart to know that the
opinion of a servant girl had mattered more to him
than the approval of his Lord! If the desire to
appease others tempts you to compromise what you
know God wants you to do, learn from Peters
mistake. Determine that you will please your Lord
regardless of the opinions of others. [Experiencing God
Day by Day by Henry and Richard Blackaby]
Paul knew that if he was going to be a
real servant of Christ, he could not tiptoe
around the message that the people of Galatia
needed to hear. They were in much danger of being
led astray by false teaching, and he did not
make apologies for his bluntness or
straightforwardness in steering them back to the truth. Paul
knew that he was dealing with life-and-death
issues because the Judaizers' perversion of the
gospel of Christ was spreading like wildfire
throughout Galatia. I am trying to please God," he
proclaimed. He was clear on who his real audience was:
God. Is our focus on pleasing people or on
pleasing God? What dilemmas, situations, concerns, or
people do you face that tempt you not to speak out
in boldness or not to live in a way that will
bring God the greatest honor and glory? Just as
Paul did, we can exchange being a people pleaser
for a much higher calling"being a servant of
Christ!
LORD, I desire to live as Christ's
servant and not as a people pleader. I realize that
I cannot seek the approval of others as I live
for you. It is your approval alone that I seek,
the approval that really counts. Help me to
speak and act in boldness and love as I serve you.
[Praying Through The Bible By Fuller]
CLOSING THOUGHT
A young man once studied violin under a
world-renowned violinist and master teacher. He worked hard
for several years at perfecting his talent, and
the day finally came when he was called upon to
give his first major public recital in the large
city where both he and his teacher lived.
Following each selection, which he performed with
great skill and passion, the performer seemed
uneasy about the great applause he received. Even
though he knew those in the audience were musically
astute and not likely to give such applause to a
less than superior performance, the young man
acted almost as if he couldn't hear the
appreciation that was being showered upon him.
At the close of the last number, the
applause was thunderous and numerous "Bravo's" were
shouted. The talented young violinist, however, had
his eyes glued on only one spot. Finally, when
an elderly man in the first row of the balcony
smiled and nodded to him in approval, the young man
relaxed and beamed with both relief and joy. His
teacher had praised his work! The applause of
thousands meant nothing until he had first won the
approval of the master.
Who are you most trying to please today?
[God's Little Devotional Bible]
YOUR COMMENTS
If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in
hearing from you. Thanks in advance and let's keep
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred
Gibbs
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
Most Important Decision in Life:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0
Steps to Peace by Billy Graham:
https://stepstopeace.org/
A Man without Equal by Bill Bright:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiVa7UoruIo
Seeking God Made Real:
http://vimeo.com/31489782
Prayer Made Real:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE
Importance of Choice:
http://creationhealth.com/CREATION-Health/Choice [click on video]
Medical Seminar on Healthful Living by David
DeRose, MD, MPH:
https://www.smartlifestyletv.com/lifestart
LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES
Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies:
http://www.liftingupjesus.net/
Amazing Facts Bible Studies:
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx
Hope Awakens Bible Study Guides:
https://www.hopeawakens.study/lesson-header;id=2
Glow Tract Video Bible Studies:
http://www.bibleresearch.info/
LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS
Islam and Christianity in Prophecy, The
Third and Final Conflict by Tim Roosenberg:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHSJB-fuHLU&list=PLWhQIHGTHlkaGg5Cwe3NDzWtFX8vNSpsE
Unlocking Bible Prophecies by Cami Oetman of
Adventist World Radio: https://www.awr.org/bible
Revelation Now by Pastor Doug Batchelor:
https://www.revelationnow.com/
Hope Awakens by John Bradshaw of IIW:
https://itiswritten.tv/programs/hope-awakens
Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657
