People Pleasers – Galatians 1:10

“For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.” –Galatians 1:10

It was freshman year, and I was sitting in history class. Like most classes in high school, we weren’t just focusing on history. Teachers always think they are witty that way. This class we were going to be having a debate: a good blend of social interaction, logic, and basic persuasion. What were we debating? Slavery.

When I was younger, I was a little weird (I know crazy, right?). This instance was no different. I would love to play “the devil’s advocate” in situations like this. I figured that being “for slavery” would be the harder argument to establish… but I was up for the challenge. By the end of the class, my side was victorious. Even though I was aware that what I was arguing was wrong, I knew how to spin it the right way. I knew how to warp the opposing side’s arguments. I knew how to play on people’s emotions.

Paul wants to make sure his audience knows he isn’t trying to use emotional measures to reach his goal. It’s like one of my professor’s used to say, “If you can persuade some one into believing something, then some one can persuade them out of it.” Paul might have been using polemic rhetoric when addressing the people, but at the heart of his argument was the truth – not mere emotions.

Paul could also be inferring that the false teachers who had come to Galatia were using the tactic of “people pleasing” to get their way. It shouldn’t come at any surprise. That is how a lot of people are led astray. These false teachers gave them something that they wanted to hear. They were arguing for something that was wrong, but they knew how to spin it the right way. They knew how to play on the Galatian’s emotions.

Sometimes we get so caught up on being “right,” or getting our way that we do whatever we need to do to fulfill our own selfish goals. Are we arguing for what is right, or are we just playing people?

Are we trying to please God or please man?

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