“For am I now seeking the approval of man, or God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.” Galatians 1:10 ESV
Have you ever sat through an annual review at work, feeling like you were back in school awaiting your report card? These reviews outline whether you've met your goals, areas of strength, and where you might need improvement. I had a memorable evaluation about a decade ago with a young, inexperienced manager. For the first time in twenty years, I received an unfavorable rating. The feedback was vague and seemed more about the manager's subjective view rather than objective criteria. Thankfully, my performance rating with a different manager was more favorable the next year.
So often, the things we value and our opinions are based on arbitrary human standards. We allow our baggage and biases to get in the way of God’s righteous standard. Knowing that we are prone to making poor decisions, it follows that seeking the approval of others—who also exercise poor judgment—is also a mistake. When we seek the approval of man, we will always be sorely disappointed.
Today’s verse goes even further. If we try to please man, we cannot also serve God. We cannot serve two masters; it’s God or not God—those are the choices. As servants of Christ, we have the Holy Spirit’s guidance to help us avoid the poor decisions of humans. Through the study of scripture, prayer, and meditation, we can discern God’s will amidst the constant bombardment from men, parties, groups, and organizations clamoring for our approval.
Was my manager right that for that one year, my performance had fallen off? I do not think so, but I admit it is possible. What I do know is that it was a challenge to my ego. While the rating on the review annoyed me, the fact that I felt annoyed bothered me even more. I let it eat away at me for a few weeks, caught up in my desire to meet the arbitrary human standard. I found peace only after I went to God in prayer. The answer I received was, “Let it go. It doesn’t matter.”
Heavenly Father, we thank Your Son, Jesus Christ, for being our example of living in harmony with You. We confess that we too often try to please men and are disappointed. Help us release those things that do not matter and instead focus on things of real value. May we constantly strive to meet Jesus Christ's standard. Amen.
Blessings,
Pastor Tim
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