How I live my life matters to God!
(Galatians 1:10 ESV) '10 For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.'
Scripture Thoughts:
The Apostle Paul is speaking to the Galatian church and telling them about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. With this being said, he is letting them know if any other gospel is being preached to them, it is false and basically only to please man (mankind). This is where I want to pick up today in our devotional. Our goal in this lifetime is to please God, no questions asked. Paul is so strong in this statement; he basically tells us that there is no way to do both. He says, "If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ. Some of us already know the scripture in (Matthew 6:24) that we cannot serve two (2) masters; we will either hate one and love the other or be devoted to one and despise the other. In other words, it is natural for man's alliance to truly only ly in one place.
Our Goal as Christians is to serve our Master, Jesus Christ, to whom we have given our lives. Since He is our Lord and Savior, our allegiance, love, actions, and obedience should all be unto Him. We are no longer to look for men, money, greed, sex, or anything outside of our God to be our master. It is important for me to note that Master means, in this context, our one true source, our everything, our final decision maker, our guidance. and our leader. This is important to understand because as a Christian, God (Father, Son (Jesus), Holy Spirit) is always our Source, period.
My Thoughts:
Where does that leave us? In general, we are always in a position where we are trying to please people in one way or another. Whether as a worker, a seller, a server, etc., we are always trying to please men (men or women) in some form or fashion. Even the Bible (Luke 2:52) says that "Jesus grew in favor with God and men." So yes, we do want to grow in favor with men and women while we are here on Earth. That will most likely help us to achieve some of the work God wants us to do while we are here.
Our goal in all of this is for God to be and remain our one (1) true source. As we work for others and try to gain others' approval in certain areas of life, we do it in a way that pleases the Lord and does NOT demote Him or His Word in our life. There is nothing wrong with gaining friends, making alliances, and working for someone, as the Lord knows that we live in this world and we need to do certain things while we are here in it. With that being said, there is nothing that we should do that violates God's Word or puts someone in a position ahead of God in our lives.
Challenge:
Pray and seek God's wisdom and understanding as you meditate on God's Word. Take a deep look into your life and see the areas where God may not be first in your life.
Prayer:
Ask your Heavenly Father to help you to understand His Word and give you the wisdom and understanding needed to act upon it.
Action:
Leave a comment, thought, or opinion in the comments section. We would like to hear from you!
Take Care Family,
Pastor Charles
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