God calls us to live a life that is pleasing to Him (Colossians 1:10). If I am being honest, I find myself looking to please people first rather than God. My friends have affectionately labeled me the ‘mom friend.’ While I am not yet a mom, I think this topic of pleasing others is common ground.
Many times, I find myself acting just like a mom by adjusting my schedule to meet the needs of others, whether it be losing sleep to have a conversation, setting aside my to-do list to braid someone’s hair, pulling out a snack when someone mentions he or she is hungry - whatever it may be. There isn’t anything inherently wrong with any of these things! It’s a good thing to serve those around you. Serving people is serving God! The important thing here is the motivation behind these actions. If I serve for an earthly reward, I fail to do what God has asked of me.
Over the past few days, I began analyzing my own life in terms of serving, and I asked myself, “What was your motive, Lucy?” I must admit that on a couple of occasions, I did something for someone with a yearning to be thanked. Galatians 1:10 (NIV) reads, “If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.” This verse reminded me of whom I should be pleasing as a Christian; My goal is to be a servant of Christ, which I cannot be if I am looking for the approval of others.
Now, this isn’t to say that serving is wrong or that I do a great job of serving, because, in actuality, I fail often. I have to remember that as I serve others, I need to look to please God, not people. My goal is to serve Christ and glorify His kingdom. I am not perfect. There will be times that I will still yearn for earthly praise, but I know that with strength and wisdom that God provides, I can work to achieve heavenly thanks instead.
Now the question remains: Who are you serving?
Lucille “Lucy” LaMar is a girl seeking after Jesus despite all her failures. Lucille is currently a sophomore at Olivet Nazarene University studying accounting, intercultural studies, and Spanish. A lover of people, stories, and community, you can find this bundle of energy spieling to anyone and everyone about anything and everything. As you read this blog, Lucille prays that the Lord will use these words to speak to you.
