For am I now seeking the approval of man or of God? – Galatians 1:10
It feels pretty good when someone appreciates the work you do and praises you for doing a good job. And it feels fantastic when someone’s eyes light up and they smile and are glad to see you. While it can be sweet to be encouraged by people, believers also need to be careful.
Jesus warns that if the world hated Him, they would surely hate His followers. Paul followed today’s verse with “If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.” How do you walk that line between being encouraged when someone praises you and caring too much about what others think? Dr. Phil’s humorous take is, “You wouldn’t worry so much about what other people thought about you if you knew how seldom they did.”
It is great to receive encouragement, especially when carrying out God’s will for your life, but what God thinks of you is more important. As children of God, you can bask in His love, acceptance, and forgiveness. He favors you because you belong to Christ and He appreciates the person He created you to be.
Receive compliments gratefully and be encouraged, while keeping in mind that pleasing God is what really matters. Encourage others, too, for the things they do. Pray for citizens and government officials to care more about their reputation with God than how they look in front of others. Public image can be crucial to a politician. Pray that God will put people in office who care more about pleasing Him than pleasing people.
Today’s Verse: Galatians 1:10
For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.
All Scripture quotations and audio are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Recommended for further reading: John 15:9-23
9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.
12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. 17 These things I command you, so that you will love one another.
18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. 21 But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 Whoever hates me hates my Father also.
All Scripture quotations and audio are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
