Living for the Audience of One
Paul asks a question that every follower of Christ should ask regularly:
“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.”
Galatians 1:10 NIV
Who are you trying to please?
Paul wasn’t asking this question randomly. He was writing to Christians in Galatia because people were distorting the Gospel, and Paul refused to change the message simply to make it more acceptable. He understood that faithfully serving Christ would sometimes mean disappointing people.
The same is true for us.
Why do you do what you do? Why do you work so hard? Why do you make the decisions you make? Why do you say yes to certain things and no to others? Are you trying to gain the approval of people, or are you trying to please God?
The truth is, you can’t make both your highest priority.
If your goal is to please people, you’ll constantly adjust yourself to their expectations. You’ll worry about what they think, whether they approve, and whether they applaud what you’re doing. Eventually, people pleasing becomes a form of bondage.
If you live for people’s approval, you’ll eventually become a prisoner of people’s opinions.
Now, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t care what anyone thinks. Scripture tells us to seek wise counsel, love people, honor others, and live at peace with others as much as possible. The issue isn’t whether we listen to people. The question is, who gets the final vote?
There will be times when pleasing God means disappointing people. You may have to stand for something that isn’t popular, say no when everyone else is saying yes, or remain faithful when nobody notices or celebrates you.
So make Paul’s question a filter for your life.
Before you post it, say it, pursue it, accept it, or walk away from it, ask yourself: Who am I trying to please?
Pleasing people can bring recognition, opportunities, popularity, and even success. But those rewards don’t last. People’s opinions change. Today’s applause can become tomorrow’s criticism.
But when your goal is to please God, you can make decisions based on obedience rather than popularity. You can do what is right even when it isn’t celebrated because you understand that you’re living for something greater than the approval of people.
So ask yourself again:
Who am I trying to please?
Human applause may be immediate, but it is temporary. God’s reward may not always be immediate, but it is eternal.
Don’t trade eternal approval for temporary applause.
Choose the audience that matters most.
Alex Bryant is a pastor, author, and speaker who writes about race, faith, and culture in America.
