Galatians419: You Can Please Some of the People Some of the Time…

Thursday, October 13, 2011

You Can Please Some of the People Some of the Time…

By Allen White

To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others:

“‘We played the pipe for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.”

For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But wisdom is proved right by her deeds.”

Matthew 11:16-19

You can please some of the people some of the time, but you can’t please all of the people all of the time. You’ll kill yourself trying.

John lived a very conservative life. He owned practically nothing. No one could accuse John of getting rich off of this. He observed a strict lifestyle. Nothing about his food or beverage could offend anyone. He played by the religious rules. The religious leaders still rejected him.

John didn’t fit into their mold. He wasn’t one of them. Membership in the religious club was more important in their book than a genuine relationship with God. Talk about backwards living.

Jesus came with less restraint. He ate and drank with sinners. No one could accuse Jesus of unholy living. He never sinned. There was nothing unholy about Him. The religious leaders didn’t like Jesus either.

John lived life on the straight and narrow. He was called a demon. Jesus lived an open and generous life. He was called a glutton, a drunkard, and a friend of sinners. We sing about Jesus being a friend of sinners. I haven’t heard any songs involving the other accusations.

John and Jesus had one thing in common – they both lived for an audience of One. Regardless of what the religious authorities thought or other people thought or even their families thought, they lived their lives with a laser focus on what God thought.

Whose opinion matters to you? Whose words do you take to heart? Whose approval are you seeking? Whose criticism are you trying to avoid? Spouses, children, parents, bosses, friends, neighbors, pastors, bloggers, church members, and people we don’t even know have an effect on us. But, whose opinion matters the most to you?

If we live to please other people, more often than not, we fail to please God. But, if we live to please God, we have a much better chance of pleasing others. We also have a chance at displeasing those who don’t belong to God.

I’m not saying that you should give up your job and responsibilities to pursue God full-time. What I’m saying is that in your job and your responsibilities pursue God full-time. Let Jesus live His life through you in your workplace, your home, your neighborhood, your online life, and everywhere else you go.

God is not asking you to add a huge spiritual component to your life. You don’t need one more thing to juggle. God wants you to integrate your faith into everything you do.

A marriage that pleases God will also please your spouse. Parenting that pleases God will also guide your children. Serving that pleases God will also benefit His Church. A work ethic that honors God will also suit your boss. You get the picture.

What’s the next step for you?

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