By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo
Galatians 1:10 "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."_ - NIV
Paul vehemently defended the gospel he preached about Christ as true. So firmly true is it that he made such strong statements of curses for anyone who perverted and preached a different gospel. He noted that some people were deliberately doing this to take them back to salvation through the law. Why such strong words? Because such compromises have eternal consequences.
We are to love, respect and even please others in what we do for encouragement, communion, support and to move together. That’s in God’s will. The dividing line, however, comes when our attempt to please others puts us at enemity with God. This includes sinning, compromising doctrinal matters, breaking fellowship with God because you want to impress men. In that case, as it was for Paul in the scripture above, we have to choose to please God and not men.
Such situations always come – in homes, community, work places, in seeking opportunities, etc. We have to decide, commit and settle it in our hearts that we shall choose to please God. The price may be high, leading to lose of opportunities, friends, facing ridicule, rejection or forfeiting other benefits. Anyone who has lived for God amidst the evils of this world, has paid that price to stand for God. You too, guided by a firm foundation of godly values, can stand. If you decide to please men in such cases, you cease to be a servant of Christ. _
1 Thessalonians 2:4 "Instead, we always speak as God wants us to, because he has judged us worthy to be entrusted with the Good News. We do not try to please people, but to please God, who tests our motives."_
Shalom children of God.