Hammer on Anvil '

Are you a people pleaser?

It is obvious when reading Paul's epistle to the Corinthians that his one ruling passion is to please God. Not his parents, not his extended family, not even his fellow disciples. It's not that he was a pain in the neck and deliberately set out to displease anyone. But when your passion is truly to please God, you follow Him and you let everything else go. Oswald Chambers calls it "a personal sovereign preference for Jesus."

We have all known people pleasers. I know a pastor's wife who spent her entire life stressed to the max because appearances were the most important thing to her. She was unable to truly have fun and appreciate loved ones because she constantly obsessed about what everyone else was thinking. Her grown granddaughter came to visit her once from out of state. Instead of being overjoyed at this rare opportunity to be with her granddaughter, the woman was horrified to learn that the granddaughter didn't bring a DRESS for church. Nice slacks and a blouse weren't good enough. If someone didn't approve of the way her granddaughter was dressed, it would somehow reflect badly on her.

How much easier life is when we seek first to please God! If we are walking in obedience, we need not be concerned about what others think.

Oswald Chambers compares Paul to a musician who "does not heed the approval of the audience if he can catch the look of approval from his Master." I remember very vividly a high school band concert that I attended. The director was top-notch, and I wondered what he was doing teaching high school kids when he seemed way over-qualified. But this was his passion, and the students loved him. He demanded excellence, and they longed to give it. At this particular concert, the band had just performed Dvorak's New World Symphony. The crowd burst into applause. The director briefly acknowledged the crowd, but then turned to his students and bowed. There was hardly a dry eye in the house as this humble man praised his students for their excellent performance. His approval obviously meant more to them than the crowd's applause.

This should be our goal as followers of Christ. I encourage you this week to ask yourself, "Do I want to 'perform' so I can gain approval from others, or does my love for God motivate me to do my very best?"