Do not try to please everyone

"Is it the favor of men that I desire, or that of God ?" Galatians 1.10

Here are two common pitfalls to avoid :

1. To have a high opinion of oneself.

When Truman finds himself at the head of the United States at the death of Franklin Roosevelt, a congressman takes him aside to tell him : "From now on, you will have many people around you, and all will tell you that you are a Great man, but Harry, we both know it's wrong."

If I still pleased men, I would not be a servant of Christ ...

Truman takes this point to heart and truly becomes a great President.

To fulfill the mission God has entrusted to you, you need two things: depend on God and trust him (1 John 3:21, 22). If you meet both of these criteria, you will succeed.

2. Have a bad opinion of yourself.

Many of us set ourselves the goal of changing the way others look at them, to prove to them that they have value. As long as you follow the opinions of those who criticize you, you will remain locked in the prison that you have built in your mind, and you will be his only prisoner.

In fact, the people you're always trying to impress are likely never to be. And you need to accept that from the point of view of God, it does not matter !

An action for today

To succeed, you have to be able to work with other people without letting their moods and opinions control you. This is why Paul writes : "Is it the favor of men that I desire, or that of God ? ... If I still pleased men, I would not be a servant of Christ".

Bob Gass

Source (The Thought of the Day)