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Galatians 1:6-12
Am I now currying favor with human beings or God? Or am I seeking to please people?
If I were still
trying to please people, I would not be a
slave of Christ.
On Saturday night I attended Holy Trinity Seminary's Welcome Dinner. It's a highly anticipated event where patrons celebrate the arrival of the new seminarians for the school year. (75 new seminarians this year!) The highlights of the dinner are the wine pull and the silent auction. This year I registered late, so I thought I'd sit in the back of the venue. To my surprise, I sat at The Catholic Foundation table only a few tables down from the Bishop of Dallas. My seat was right in front of the speaker's podium. "How in the world did I get such an awesome seat?" I thought to myself. "This is great!" I engaged in a terrific conversation with the attendees at my table. It turns out they know my former dental hygienist from years ago. What a small world! I never know who I will meet at local Catholic charity events or how I will relate to them. Nine out of ten times we have something in common.
People vs. God pleasing Oftentimes, people will attend an special event in order to network with others, make new business arrangements, and hopefully "curry up favors" from people with influential connections. As Christians, we have to be careful not to people please, catering to another person's every little need in order to get something for ourselves. This isn't always healthy behavior.
I think of a woman who is in a co-dependent relationship with a boyfriend. He may abuse and mistreat her; yet, she will not leave him. She is committed to "pleasing him" in hopes he will change and begin to love her. She doesn't have the courage and strength to break free of the destructive relationship.
Another example of people pleasing involves peer pressure. Some teens, in order to fit in with the crowd, drink and use drugs; skip out on school; engage in promiscous sexual activity; or bully other kids. Teenagers are desperate to fit in the crowd, so they are willing to do whatever it takes to be liked.
The people pleaser sometimes loses her own identity. In a conquest for self-recognition, she says "Yes" to requests that cause burden and stress. Helping others in need is a good thing; however, helping those who are chronically needy, and refuse to help themselves, isn't.
Becoming a God pleaser is counter-cultural but healthier for our souls. Being a slave for Christ is something Saint Paul firmly believed in. It means serving others in healthy ways that liven up our spirits and bring us closer to the heavenly father. We serve others not out of self-righteousness but out of self-donation. We love others not because they give us some benefit but because they are fellow beings created in the image of God. We donate money not out of pride but out of sincere wish to help . We pray for others, recognizing we are here on this earth to help and support one another.
Why not try to please God the next time you think about pleasing another person who is using, abusing or mistreating you? Remember God loves you unconditionally. He is there to protect you and spiritually nourish you.
-J.
On Saturday night I attended Holy Trinity Seminary's Welcome Dinner. It's a highly anticipated event where patrons celebrate the arrival of the new seminarians for the school year. (75 new seminarians this year!) The highlights of the dinner are the wine pull and the silent auction. This year I registered late, so I thought I'd sit in the back of the venue. To my surprise, I sat at The Catholic Foundation table only a few tables down from the Bishop of Dallas. My seat was right in front of the speaker's podium. "How in the world did I get such an awesome seat?" I thought to myself. "This is great!" I engaged in a terrific conversation with the attendees at my table. It turns out they know my former dental hygienist from years ago. What a small world! I never know who I will meet at local Catholic charity events or how I will relate to them. Nine out of ten times we have something in common.
People vs. God pleasing Oftentimes, people will attend an special event in order to network with others, make new business arrangements, and hopefully "curry up favors" from people with influential connections. As Christians, we have to be careful not to people please, catering to another person's every little need in order to get something for ourselves. This isn't always healthy behavior.
I think of a woman who is in a co-dependent relationship with a boyfriend. He may abuse and mistreat her; yet, she will not leave him. She is committed to "pleasing him" in hopes he will change and begin to love her. She doesn't have the courage and strength to break free of the destructive relationship.
Another example of people pleasing involves peer pressure. Some teens, in order to fit in with the crowd, drink and use drugs; skip out on school; engage in promiscous sexual activity; or bully other kids. Teenagers are desperate to fit in the crowd, so they are willing to do whatever it takes to be liked.
The people pleaser sometimes loses her own identity. In a conquest for self-recognition, she says "Yes" to requests that cause burden and stress. Helping others in need is a good thing; however, helping those who are chronically needy, and refuse to help themselves, isn't.
Becoming a God pleaser is counter-cultural but healthier for our souls. Being a slave for Christ is something Saint Paul firmly believed in. It means serving others in healthy ways that liven up our spirits and bring us closer to the heavenly father. We serve others not out of self-righteousness but out of self-donation. We love others not because they give us some benefit but because they are fellow beings created in the image of God. We donate money not out of pride but out of sincere wish to help . We pray for others, recognizing we are here on this earth to help and support one another.
Why not try to please God the next time you think about pleasing another person who is using, abusing or mistreating you? Remember God loves you unconditionally. He is there to protect you and spiritually nourish you.
-J.
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