God Pleaser

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             I must admit that for the majority of my life, I’ve been a people pleaser.  I recently noticed  (with some consternation) that the harder I try to please God, the less I seem to please the people around me and possibly vice versa. That discovery led me to look at whom I was trying to please (and why). God’s Word is definitely not mute on this. Jesus says in Matthew 6:1 to “Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise, you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven” (NASB).  This checks my motivation in wanting to please people. In I Thessalonians 2:4, Paul talks of being “entrusted with the gospel” and speaking to please God “who examines the heart” rather than speaking to please men. Paul’s choice to please His God rather than the ones who could destroy his life is not one without cost, but it yields him eternal life. Alternately, in Isaiah 30:10-11, God speaks to a rebellious people who beg to hear pleasing words rather than His words, and the results of that desire lead to their ruin and destruction. In Matthew 10:28 Jesus warns, “Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Jesus goes on to relate the disciples’ value to God (v. 28-31) and the value of their allegiance to Him (v. 32-33). His next words relate the idea that they will not always be pleasing to men while following Him: “Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword” (v. 34). If the Word of God brings division to even families (v. 35-36), who am I to think that I can please men and God? If I cannot love Him more than anything or anyone else in my life, I’m not worthy of Him (v. 37). This is a sobering thought. Apparently, the struggle between pleasing God and man is not a new struggle because Paul speaks of it many times. In Galatians 1:10, he says, “For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ.” Both Ephesians 6 and Colossians 3 discuss the idea of pleasing men (in the context of a slave). The idea is that men sometimes serve to please others (eye-service) rather than serve to please God (heart service). Col. 3:23-24 reads, “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance.” There is only One whom I should try to please. The rest will fall into place or fall away as God deems because I choose to be a God pleaser.



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