A Closer Look
At times we can all be 'people pleasers', can’t we? You just want to make your spouse happy; you’ll do whatever it takes for your boss to respect you.
Now pleasing someone is one thing, but what’s dangerous is when we do that, and are now no longer pleasing God. When the Apostle Paul was accused of preaching in a way that compromised God, his response was simple: it’s only possible to serve one master.
He said in Galatians 1:10, “If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.” In the introductory remarks of all of Paul’s church letters he begins by sharing the authority he has to write to them – and it’s always that he is a servant of God. That’s how he’s been authorized.
It’s those in Galatia that he’s rebuking for adding to the simplicity of the good news. And he does this by really emphasizing God’s role. While our response is important, when we over-care about us, we make it too much about our works or we heighten God’s grace and minimize our sin.
There’s a reason why the first commandment is first, and the second commandment is second. Loving God enables you to truly love people.