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

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The memories of my first years in America are emblazoned in my mind. There’s nothing like the immigrant experience to teach one how to become a people pleaser. Desperately wanting to belong and be accepted, but extremely shy and reserved, I faced the world confused about my identity but certain it resided in the approval of other people. 

Thirty years later I am still battling some of the same mind traps. Though I have shifted (and continue to shift) my gaze on God’s opinion of me, the need for approval from everyone else has not completely faded. It shows up on social media, in work meetings with colleagues, in gatherings with family and friends, and even in encounters with strangers. Where does it show up for you?

In today’s verse, Paul stresses that we cannot be Christ’s servants while still trying to please people; the two cannot coexist. We must choose whether we want to ultimately please God or our fellow humans. This is a daily choice, one that is often fraught with anxiety or guilt. Even when our desire is to be a faithful Christ follower, the voices of what others think of us can echo louder.

Wanting the approval of others to define us might not feel wrong; it might even feel natural. But God knows that this approval of man is a fickle thing, likely to change frequently, likely to let us down. There is only one voice whose opinion of us never alters, one place of refuge that will always welcome us home no matter how far we stray—the God who has “redeemed you… summoned you by name” (Isaiah 43:1).

Genuinely believing that God’s opinion is the only one that matters and surrendering the need for approval is a journey that takes time. Some of us are already there, and the rest of us are inching our way closer to that faith milestone. And that is ok. The beautiful thing about God’s design is that He built us to need each other and to fill those needs through service, while standing on Him as the foundation of our identity. From this stance, gaining others’ approval will not matter anymore. Rather, serving others will become our heartfelt objective. 

Next Steps

Pray and ask God to help you surrender the need for approval you have from anyone but Him.

If you need reminders of your identity in Christ, meditate on these verses: 2 Corinthians 5:17, Psalms 139:13-14, 1 Corinthians 12:27, Ephesians 5:8