“Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ” (Galatians 1:10, NIV).

An actor may ask the director, “What’s my motivation for this scene?” They want to know why the character they’re portraying behaves the way they do. And, unconsciously, most of us ask ourselves the very same question about what motivates us to do what we do.

Do we want money or to look attractive or to be well educated in order to make the statement, “Look at me. I’m successful!”

Do we want to buy people gifts or give them money or tell them how much we love them in order to make the statement, “I did this for you. Now you have to like me!”

Whether good or bad, humble or proud, much of what motivates our behaviors comes from how we believe others perceive us. The flaw in this perception is that, as the old saying goes, you can’t please all the people all the time. The fact is that we will never measure up against a benchmark that is based on the whims of humanity.

So, how are we to hit the right mark every time? How are we to please those around us? How are we to avoid being in a “clic” or avoid being outside the “clic”?

The answer lies in living for Christ. God doesn’t care about our success, that is, how we rate as compared to others. What God DOES care about is our excellence, that is, how we try to do our best to please Him. It is in living to please God that our families, our friends, and our relationships in general, fall into place in a way that satisfies beyond measure because our motive is now Godly, not worldly.

Honor the Lord, strive for obedience, read His Word, serve others, pray with passion, and the Lord of Lords will lift your heart and soul beyond any measure of this world!

David McCall

Executive Pastor