People pleasing

Galatians 1:10 (NLT)

Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant.


Luke 4:28-30 (NLT)


When they heard this, the people in the synagogue were furious. Jumping up, they mobbed him and forced him to the edge of the hill on which the town was built. They intended to push him over the cliff, but he passed right through the crowd and went on his way.


Pleasing who?

There are two kinds of people in the word: those who seek to please others/themselves (people) and those who seek to please God.

Pleasing people is about one thing: self-exaltation. Pleasing God is about one thing: God.

Idolatry abounds in this fallen world, and so do TV shows that reveal this idolatry.  I won't name them, most of you are aware.

Why?

The core of humankind at bottom desires one thing, "to be as God." We all want to be made much of. We want our friends, our family, our co-workers, the world to make much of us.

The reason for this is that we are not content that God is on the throne and in control. We are not content that God should receive every ounce, every drop of fame and glory.

The unregenerate heart wants to be made much of because it is at odds with its Creator.

Remedy?

First, if we are already Christians, we already own the remedy. It is the new heart that we have been given. Why in the world would we have given our life to Christ if we were trying to please people? To the world, the cross of Christ is foolishness, but to us who have been made alive by Him, it is our very life-blood.

It would be insane to claim to know Jesus and live for him if fame, fortune and people-pleasing was our goal. Just look at the life of Christ. Luke 4 cited above shows that. Jesus didn't care about the world knowing who he was as a man, but he desired them to know who he was as a Savior.

Second, the Spirit of God who lives in us has one goal in mind: glorifying Jesus Christ. ...not me or you. If the goal of the animating power of God that lives in our hearts is for spreading Jesus' fame, and giving Him praise, then what the heck are we doing trying to spread our fame?

Third, the relationship that we have with God should drive us to want to tell everyone about Him, and keep ourselves faded in the background. Pleasing God, our Father, who sacrificed His Son for our sake should be our highest goal. If we have the greatest father in the world, no, the universe, then wouldn't our top priority be to brag Him up?

The love that He has poured out upon us should be the theme of our song, not ourselves. Adopted into the family where we have been made us co-heirs with Christ. What more could we want? What more could we ask for?

So, remember our new heart, remember the Spirit of God who has made our body His temple wants to glorify Christ, and remember our adoption into God's family. If we do, we will fade into the background, and like Jesus in Luke 4, we won't care who wants to do what with us, as long as the Father gets the glory and honor.

Live for Christ in all things, and let fame, notoriety and glory be for Him, and not for us.