Galatians 1:10
While you live upon
this earth, know today that you have a choice to make… This choice is not
something that is decided verbally but is declared by actions and intentions…
Paul reminds us today that we must get away from the thinking of trying to
appease or appeal to our peers and focus on winning the approval of Christ…
There is no one on this earth who has a say-so or can even decide where you
will spend eternity; however, there are so many of us who spend valuable
amounts of time trying to please people as if they have power over us… The
message of today’s devotional is simple, adhere to the voice of God even if it means that you will lose
friends and find yourself alone at times…Paul faced several doubters after his conversion, he could have
very easily given into the peer pressure and walked away from the voice of the
Lord; however, in walking by faith as he told the church of Corinth he
continued to do what God desired of him and reaped the bountiful rewards
because of his obedience… Not everyone will approve your transition or
transformation, not everyone will be happy about the new you, so as you grow in
Christ make the decision and stand by it that you will not be governed or
restricted by man… We all must learn from prior knowledge or our very own experiences
that we must strive to seek the approval of God verses the approval of men…
Paul was a prime example of what we all face at some point in our lives; it
doesn’t matter whether it is your youthful days dealing with peer pressure or
your adult hood dealing with the levels of success according to the worldly
standards… Paul was a book smart intelligent man who (by seeking the approval
of men) sought out the Christian churches to persecute them and tear them down…
It took His very own encounter with the Lord to bare witness to God’s divinity
and to the will He had for Him… See, we like Paul find ourselves doing things
that appear right; however, we always end up filling empty and out of place…
Today, make your election of the Lord sure… Stand by faith and know that it
doesn’t matter how many friends you lose and it doesn’t matter how many people
turn their backs on you… The bible tells us that when we leave our areas of
comfort behind that God sees that and we will be rewarded… “And
everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or
children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will
inherit eternal life.” (Matthew 19:29)… Paul makes is clear to
the Church of Galatia that he isn't worried about
being approved by men or adhering the ways of the world, this verse calls for
us to examine the motives of our actions everyday and what is it that we seek
in this life… What is your objective on this earth? What are you focusing on or
what is driving and motivating you? This is the question that Paul is
addressing to the church of Galatia... The church was being
divided by people who were succumbing to the pressures of the nations around
them! The church was under attack by sexual immorality and
debauchery… Galatia was being torn apart and some were trying to
stand on God’s will, while the others were saying that they should adopt the
culture that is being lived around them… Paul is saying that you must make your
election sure; you cannot waver on where you stand or who has the influence on
your life! So many people say that they are a child of God and walking in His
will, but they allow the people around them to dictate how they live their
life… They hide their Christianity to fit in and deny God as their father to abstain
from conflict. Paul is saying that you have two options to choice from, either
walk with God or walk with the world… There is no middle ground! Notice
the last sentence of this verse, “If I were still trying to please men
I would not be a servant of Christ!” The bible tells us that we cannot
serve two masters; whether you believe it or not, focusing on the opinion of
man will lead to serving their opinion which will lead to you straying away
from Christ… Paul understands that there was a time when he was worried about
what his peers thought, there was a time when he was persecuting the church and
filled with the poison of the world… He knows that in pleasing man you cannot
please God! We all at one point and time were “still trying to please
men,” we accepted bad habits; settled for sinful things and fell short
of the glory of God, but now is the time for you to show through your actions
and lifestyle whom you serve… Paul says today that I am a servant of God
because I don’t care about what man thinks of me, I know longer am caught up in
titles or peer pressure, I know longer need to fit in or fill wanted by the
people around me… I know I am a servant
of Christ because I can let things go, I can let people go, I can let
circumstance go, I can let fleshly desires go… Whose approval do you seek? Paul sought the
approval of man and fell upon his face; God picked him up and planted him on a
solid foundation to preach the Gospel of Christ…. When you seek the approval of
men you will fall flat on your face, when you seek God’s approval He will pick
you up and plant you on a solid foundation that will remain forever! The choice is yours; just know that a choice
must indeed be made…
BE
BLESSED!!!
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