“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
Our first obligation should be to please God with our work. But that can be easier said than done. Whether driven by perfectionism or the desire to please others, it can be easy to lose sight of the One we actually work for.
It can be hard to turn our gaze away from the praise and accolades that often come with going above-and-beyond. Extra work in off-hours may prove our commitment, but what are we trying to prove? And to whom?
Our work does not define us. God does. Our work does not guide us. God does. We are not beholden to our work. But we are beholden to the One who redeems it. And our efforts should never be driven by gaining affection or avoiding resentment. Letting go of being a people pleaser or perfectionist is hard work. But the really hard work is in being a servant of Christ. If we press on toward that, toward focusing our efforts on first pleasing God, we might just find that the rest doesn’t matter quite as much as we thought.
If you dig deep, who would you say you are working for? If you’re not a people pleaser or perfectionist, share this message with someone in your life who may benefit.
