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(Galatians 1:10) “Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.”
Part 6: WHAT’S IN IT FOR US? - 34. Freedom from People Pleasing (God's approval matters more than the changing opinions of people).
One of the greatest prisons we can live in has no walls, and no guards... and we create it all for ourselves! It is the constant need for other people's approval.
Many of us spend years trying to avoid disappointment, criticism, or rejection. We adjust our opinions, soften our convictions, or remain silent when we should speak, simply because we fear what others might think. The problem is that human approval is never permanent. The same crowd that applauds you today may just as well criticise you tomorrow.
The apostle Paul understood this well. Before meeting Christ, he lived to gain the approval of religious leaders. After meeting Jesus, everything changed. His greatest desire became pleasing God, even when it meant misunderstanding, persecution, imprisonment, or rejection.
Following Jesus doesn't make us rude, arrogant, or insensitive to others. Christians are still called to love people deeply, to serve humbly, and to treat everyone with kindness and respect. But there is an important difference between loving people and living for their approval.
When God's opinion becomes the one that matters most, an extraordinary freedom begins to grow within us.
We no longer need to prove our worth.
We no longer have to wear masks to gain acceptance.
We no longer feel crushed every time someone misunderstands or criticises us.
Instead, we learn to rest in the unchanging truth that we are already fully known and fully loved by our Heavenly Father.
This freedom also transforms our relationships. Ironically, when we stop living to please everyone, we become far more capable of genuinely loving them. Love tells the truth with grace. It forgives more readily. It serves without expecting applause. It gives because Christ first gave to us.
(Great quote) Living for people's approval is exhausting. Living for God's approval is liberating.
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Let us pray, "Heavenly Father, help me to 'live' this word from You Lord. Free me from my own prison ..." Amen!
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