Man Pleasers

“On the contrary we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel.  We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts.” 1 Thes. 2:4 (Emphasis mine).

When you get up in the morning I am sure the first thought that goes through your mind is NOT, “How can I please my spouse, my children, my boss, etc.. today?”  For many of us it is not even about how to please God.  Our first thoughts on waking are about the issues and problems of the day ahead.

However, this is a form of “man pleasing.”  Why?  Because you are putting the things of this earth before God.  No matter what was coming at Paul, Silas and Timothy they always looked to God for their direction and instruction.  The trial or issue that you are going through is nothing more than a test to show you what is most important to you.

God already knows what is in our hearts, but so many times we do not.  We think that we are doing the Christian walk.  In fact, it is pretty simple to be a Christian when all is well.  It is easy to say, “Bless you sisters, God be with you brother,” when all is right in our world.  Even, “Let me pray for you,” comes easier when we are not going through something.

The true “test” of God in your heart is when you are going through a trial.  This is when you will discover if you are a man pleaser or a God pleaser.  Men pleasers are focused on themselves.  They are concerned with what people think of them and what they do.  They are quite often trying to make an impression, get a compliment, or “seem” pious because people say so, even trying to get people to focus on their problems, exclusively.

God pleasers on the other hand are not concerned for their own well-being.  They are consistently looking to show the love of God to others.  Even if it means putting themselves out, (that is called sacrifice), they will do it.  Whatever is going on in their own lives takes second place to helping others achieve and maintain their faith in Christ.

This doesn’t mean that you are not “aware” of what is happening around you.  Paul quite often recited all that he had been through, but then he amended it by bragging about the fact that all these things only proved that he was weak and God was strong, that he was dependent on the One who created him in the beginning.  That he trusted the Lord for all things, and no matter what he was going through he knew that Christ was the goal.

Read through his letters, most times they were written from prison.  He had been flogged, stoned, shipwrecked, lost at sea, the list goes on, yet not once did he ever say, “Woe is me.”  He even had a physical ailment that he said God would not heal him of, (for those who are of the mind that God heals every ailment if we believe enough, the key is for us to be in line with His will wherever it leads, not focused on the cure for the disease.)  He says that the answer to his petition to God for relief was, “But He told me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.’  Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weakness, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” 2 Cor 12:9

God will give you the grace to get through whatever it is that comes at you.  The key is to stay focused on Him and not your circumstance.  This takes a humble and contrite heart that is willing to be completely dependent on God and not our own abilities to rectify a situation. “In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.” Proverbs 16:9 (Emphasis mine)

What is in our heart is the key, for this is where we all act and react from.  When His word has saturated our hearts, it pumps out like life blood to others.  This can only happen when He is the reason for our actions, then we can be assured that we will be God pleasers and not man pleasers.

From Light for My Path – Prayers & Promises

Father, sometimes I get things backward, thinking that if I am successful in life I will be of better service to You.  I’ll have more money, more time.  Then people will listen to me; I’ll have influence and power to use for Your kingdom. Sometimes it does work out this way, but normally if I become successful, I end up doing no more work for You then I did before.

Help me to realize that humility and doing Your will should come first, no matter what my present situation is.  Help me keep my eyes on You, and the rest will take care of itself.