More Than Bread Devotional for 5/22/08

Galatians 1:10
Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.

All of us like to be appreciated. We like approval. That isn't wrong. God made us that way. The problem comes when we seek to get that approval in the wrong ways or from the wrong place. There is only One we need to "impress" and I put that word in quotes so you won't misunderstand. God's approval isn't the same as His love. He loves us no matter what. As humans, we can have a hard time understanding that concept. His approval is the confirmation of His character in us. When we follow His ways, we automatically have His approval. But we can be tempted by the siren song of the praise of people we can hear much louder than His voice. Paul is telling us here that we have to make a choice which is more important to us.