Please

On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts.

1 Thessalonians 2:4

Who do you seek to please? 

I tend toward being a people pleaser.  I want people to like me, to enjoy my company.  What better way to achieve that than to make sure they are happy.  But there are times when happiness is not what is needed.  An honest word of truth is not always pleasant but often needed. 

Paul says that we speak as ones approved by God entrusted with the gospel.  We speak the gospel.  But the gospel is not always pleasant to hear.  It is God's great message of love, grace, and forgiveness.  It is available for all people, but it requires that we admit some painful things.  We must admit that we are sinful.  We are broken.  We are hurting.  We must admit that we cannot fix ourselves.  All of our best efforts lead us nowhere.  We must admit that we need someone else to save us.  We need a Savior.  We must confront our pride, our sin, our weakness.  We must allow Jesus to be our forgiver, our leader, our Savior.  Sometimes we don't want to admit those things or hear those words.  But they are needed. 

If we seek to please men, we keep those words to ourselves. 

If we seek to please God, we share them not to condemn but to love. 

Who do you seek to please?