Word-Filled Wednesday ~#82 ~ Who Are You Trying to Please?

"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." ~Gal. 1:10

"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself for me." ~Gal. 2:20

I have often been the person who stood alone ~ the odd "man" out, if you will. I can remember, in the 3rd grade, when our teacher asked who still believed in Santa ~ I was the only one who raised my hand. However, during recess, I had a string of "friends" who said that they still believed, too, they just didn't want to be made fun of. Wow. Thanks.

When I became a Christian, I lost several friends because I needed to leave the sinful lifestyle I was living. Funny thing . . . when those same friends were sick or in trouble, they looked me up and asked me to pray for them or for advice. I am thankful to God that some of those friends are now brothers and sisters in the Lord, simply because they knew there was SOMEONE who tried to stand firm in their faith. 

Recently, I thought I was going to lose my job because there seemed to be no other day of the week for a mandatory staff meeting than Sunday. I do not work Sundays and that was an agreement that was made when I took my job. I did not go in. By the Lord's grace and mercy, I still have my job. I stood firm.

We all want friends, we all want to be thought well of at school, at work, in our church, in our neighborhoods. But who are you trying to please? Do you want to be the "cool" person who laughs at all the dirty jokes? Or should you be the one who is respected enough and known that you are not the person to tell them to? When others are making fun of you because you won't do the immoral things they are doing, remember to Whom YOU belong. 

YOU are a child of God (Romans 8:14, 17). YOU have been bought at great price (1 Cor. 6:20). Jesus Christ lives in YOU (Gal. 2:20[a]). God loves YOU so much that His one and only Son willingly paid the price for YOUR sins with His own blood (Gal. 2:20[b]). God loves YOU so much that YOUR name is engraved on the palms of His hands (Is. 49:16). 

When we stand firm in our faith and our unbelieving friends and family see, they will know without a shadow of a doubt, Whom we serve ~ we won't have to worry about trying to please them. They will see and know that we strive to please our Lord. And in seeing that in us, they may want what we have and a seed may be planted that will the Lord will cause to grow into a saving faith of their own.

Who are you trying to please?

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><