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I remember the first time I had family Christmas at my house.
We planned what we would have for dinner, asked people to bring side dishes, and then set a time. All of the sudden somebody said that time wouldn’t work for them. So I changed it to work for that person. Another person came forward and said they couldn’t do that. So I changed the time again. Yet another person said that wouldn’t work….
Finally someone from my family said to me, “You are having this at your house. You need to pick the time that works for you, and just let the pieces fall where they may.”
That was the best advice I’d ever heard at that moment. I stopped trying to please everyone and just set a time that worked for our family, and surprisingly, though some people were a little late, everyone made it.
That same lesson can go for our walk with Christ. When I decided to drop my classes at a University and go to Bible College instead, some people did not understand. If I had listened to those people and tried to please them, I would not have been walking in God’s plan for my life.
God has a plan for each of us, and though we do need to stay under authority, the people around us should not be able to dictate our lives for us. Each one of us, individually, is accountable to God for the lives we live, not to onlookers around us who are shouting out their opinions.
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 servantof Christ (Galatians 1:10 ESV).
