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Q. Why did you first become a Christian? Q. Why are you now a Christian?
Q. Think about your life: Whom are you trying to please? By everything you do are you trying to please God or trying to please people?
Proverbs 16:2
All a man's ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the LORD.
God knows your motives; God knows our interior plans and desires. God knows why you do ministry. Is it for God or for men?
Q. Do you have Quiet Times, Bible study, Evangelism and all the ministry works just to give accountability to your leader?
Galatians 1:10
Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.
Paul was not trying to win the approval of men, rather he was trying to gain the approval of God. He just wanted to be a servant of God.
Ephesians 6:7
Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men,
We need to serve wholeheartedly as if we are serving God and not men.
Q. What is your character? Do you love compliments/appreciation, or are you easily discouraged? Maybe then you are a people pleaser. The person who pleases God will be opposite to this.
Q. Why do we try to please people? Let us discuss about different reasons why we try to please men and how to overcome it?
1. Pride
Matthew 14:3-10
3 Now Herod had arrested John and bound him and put him in prison because of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife,
4 for John had been saying to him: "It is not lawful for you to have her."
5 Herod wanted to kill John, but he was afraid of the people, because they considered him a prophet.
6 On Herod's birthday the daughter of Herodias danced for them and pleased Herod so much
7 that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked.
8 Prompted by her mother, she said, "Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist."
9 The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he ordered that her request be granted
10 and had John beheaded in the prison.
Herod made the mistake of promising to give his daughter whatever she asked. But because of his pride, he couldn’t correct his statement. He pleased his guests and everybody except God. Ultimately he fell into the sin of murdering an innocent man.
Q. Do you accept your mistakes or are you prideful? If you are prideful, you end up in pleasing everybody except God.
We need to be humble to accept our mistakes.
1 Peter 5:5-6
5 Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."
6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.
2. Position
Mark 15:15
Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.
To satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas. He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified. To protect his position as a Governor, he compromised his conviction and the facts.
Q. Do you compromise on your convictions for protecting your position as a leader, as a loving son / daughter for the family? As the committed employee for the boss?
We should not be afraid of losing our positions for God’s sake, because God will not be pleased with us. John 12:42-43.
3. Pleasure
1 Kings 11:7-9
7 On a hill east of Jerusalem, Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the detestable god of Moab, and for Molech the detestable god of the Ammonites.
8 He did the same for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and offered sacrifices to their gods.
9 The LORD became angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice.
Solomon tried to please his wives, by building high places for foreign Gods, offered sacrifices and burned incense to their gods, because of this God turned away from him.
Q. Are you trying to please your peers, spouses, and girlfriends / boyfriends more than God? We need to love our God with all our heart, soul and mind.
Deuteronomy 6:5
Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.
Challenge
Learn to please God more than people.
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