Tuesday, September 7, 2010

You will never win trying to please everyone, please God!

Luke 7:21 – 49

On one hand, I am a people pleaser; I like to see people happy and enjoying life. I enjoy seeing people at peace with themselves and what they are doing. My people pleasing way end when I see someone going in a different way than God’s way.

John did not care about pleasing people at all. He was a child of the wilderness 100% sold out to God. His call was one that took a very tough skin to accomplish. Many loved him because they could see the honesty, integrity of his heart. Those who should have supported him the most, the religious leaders, hated him. He knew his call. He was more concerned about pleasing God than the people and because of that completed the call on his life.

It is very easy to allow other people to become the “god” of our lives. Whenever you care more about someone else’s opinion rather than God’s you have made them your “god”. When ever we allow someone else to stop the dream that God has given us then they have become our “god”. As much a blessing as our parents can be in our lives, if they become the controlling voice in our heads rather than God they can become our “god”. Failed past relationships or any failure can become the controlling voice. God calls us to please him not be controlled by all of these other things.

John would never have gone to a party, but Jesus was different. People have different callings and functions. John’s call was to be this standard outside of the lives of people. Jesus cal was to be a standard among the people. The people needed and still need to see that the Lord wants them to know Him personally. Jesus came to show us that God is not only the judge and king but the friend as well.

Can you imagine the religious leaders rejecting Jesus because He was not God-like? They had built in their minds a god that was created in their image and missed the true God of the universe and Father of us all revealed through His Son. They wanted to please people with their propriety and piety but God wanted them to please Him by being real and loving people the way that He loved.

How are you pleasing God today? Pleasing people is only a sin when it takes the place of pleasing God. Be who God has called you to be! Live the life He has called you too. Love God, love people, this is the whole of the Gospel!

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