November 15, 2024
JUSTIN TUCKER | WORSHIP PASTOR
Galatians 1:10
“For am I now trying to persuade people or God? Or am I striving to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.”
Not too long ago I found myself in a season where I kept saying “yes” to things I really didn’t have the time or energy for. Every time a request came in, I would agree, thinking, If I say no, what will they think? Maybe you’ve been there, too…stuck in the loop of trying to keep everyone around you happy. But here’s the problem: the more I worried about everyone’s approval, the less effective I was in the areas that mattered most, and the more frustrated I became.
Paul, in his letter to the Galatians, points us to a life free from this trap. He says, “If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.” Paul knew that trying to gain the approval of others is like running in circles, all you do is end up exhausted, off track, and missing the purpose God has for you.
Living to please God doesn’t mean we ignore others. But it does mean we let go of the need to control how we’re perceived. God calls us to a higher purpose, one that may mean standing alone or even disappointing people at times. That’s okay. True peace comes when we live for an audience of One.
Today, ask yourself, Whose approval am I chasing? Let go of people-pleasing, and choose to please God. That’s where your true freedom and purpose are found.
“For am I now trying to persuade people or God? Or am I striving to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.”
Not too long ago I found myself in a season where I kept saying “yes” to things I really didn’t have the time or energy for. Every time a request came in, I would agree, thinking, If I say no, what will they think? Maybe you’ve been there, too…stuck in the loop of trying to keep everyone around you happy. But here’s the problem: the more I worried about everyone’s approval, the less effective I was in the areas that mattered most, and the more frustrated I became.
Paul, in his letter to the Galatians, points us to a life free from this trap. He says, “If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.” Paul knew that trying to gain the approval of others is like running in circles, all you do is end up exhausted, off track, and missing the purpose God has for you.
Living to please God doesn’t mean we ignore others. But it does mean we let go of the need to control how we’re perceived. God calls us to a higher purpose, one that may mean standing alone or even disappointing people at times. That’s okay. True peace comes when we live for an audience of One.
Today, ask yourself, Whose approval am I chasing? Let go of people-pleasing, and choose to please God. That’s where your true freedom and purpose are found.
Posted in Daily Devos