Some preachers are pugilistic by nature—always ready to duke it out over some deviance in a doctrine they detect. They are always right and come hell or high water, they will let you know it! They automatically look at other ministries with a magnifying glass, persistently scouring for what they perceive is a bit of dirt while seldom examining their own.
But, most of us are not that way. We enjoy tranquility in the church. It is easier to go along and get along. When someone in the congregation is upset, so are we. It is a short distance to slip into being a man-pleaser, where the opinions of others gradually arise to become preeminent. That is deadly in ministry. It leads to compromise.
Paul gives us the proper balance between these two errors: strive to please the One that matters. Now, that is not your wife, though we should be concerned about her opinions. In fact, I have found that listening to her at times is the way God directs. Neither is it the deacon chairman or some other prominent member in the congregation that we must heed at all costs. Certainly, there are times we may find such a good sounding board and their backing may be profitable in some significant direction to which we are leading.
The reality is, though, that if you seek to please God, you will inevitably displease some people, perhaps many people. The bottom line is this—pleasing the Master and not pleasing man is our goal. We have the ultimate accountability to Him. There is coming that dreadful day that we stand before a Holy God who knows all our thoughts, words, and deeds, even able to discern the very intent of why we did what we have done.
We do not work for the church, but for Christ who is Lord of the church. If we are obedient to Him, the congregation may follow us or fire us, but that is secondary to the primary duty of pleasing Him! Men, let us seek to serve each day with eternity in view.
Blessed Lord, deliver us from being men-pleasers and motivate us to seek to be well pleasing to You!
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