"Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant."
~Galatians 1:10 NLT
Paul shows us once more the reason he does what he does. The main reason he zealously preached and spread the gospel wasn't to please people. The moment our actions and words are for winning people's approval we are on the wrong path. The only approval that matters is God's approval. We see many instances in the bible how people who sought human approval ended up doing things that went against their convictions.
Take for example, the king who gave the order to have John the baptist's head on a silver platter at a young girl's request. He granted that request for fear of his guests (he feared his guests more than God) because he had already promised publicly that he will grant the little girl any wish. Trying to win humans approval can be detrimental, especially when it results in us disregarding what God has told us.
Paul the apostle informs us that if pleasing people were his goal, he wouldn't be Christ's servant. Looking at the life of Apostle Paul's before his conversion, one can easily understand what he means. He used to be a Pharisee, people who were regarded very highly, people who had a great deal of influence and were showered with praises and admiration. Whereas being Christ's servant led to serious persecutions and being thrown in jail time and time again. Although in many countries today the gospel has free course, there are those areas where Christian people are still being persecuted for their faith.
May God give us the grace not to succumb to the pressure of pleasing people and seeking after their approval. The only approval and acceptance that really matters is God's.
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