Obviously,"); document.writeln("I am not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people"); document.writeln("were my goal, I would not be Christ\'€™s servant.1
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Our human flesh"); document.writeln("wants to please people. We often enjoy the recognition, validation, and love"); document.writeln("from the world. However, in Galatians 1:10, we get a beautiful reminder that we"); document.writeln("should be trying to receive the approval of God instead of people. Everything"); document.writeln("we do should be for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31) and we need to work"); document.writeln("willingly and diligently at everything we do, as if we are working for the Lord"); document.writeln("(Colossians 3:23). Seeking approval from the world moves us away from the Lord,"); document.writeln("but seeking the approval of the Lord gives us true purpose, strength, dignity,"); document.writeln("and freedom.
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At some point"); document.writeln("in our lives, we may want to please society whether it is in the way we dress,"); document.writeln("the way we talk, the way we treat others, the activities we participate in, and"); document.writeln("sometimes this might influence our beliefs as well. As Christians, however, we"); document.writeln("are trying to please the Lord and seek approval from Him. Our goal is to stand"); document.writeln("out from the world and be an example of Jesus. The world often desires the"); document.writeln("opposite of what God desires, which makes it easier to distinguish between"); document.writeln("whether we are seeking the things of God or not. For instance, if treating"); document.writeln("others harshly and carelessly is what it takes to please people, then treating"); document.writeln("others with kindness and love is what it takes to please the Lord. If society"); document.writeln("wants you to use foul language, God wants you to speak words of wisdom and love"); document.writeln("instead. Pleasing people is not our goal because we are servants of Christ, and"); document.writeln("he is the only One whose approval we should seek.
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Suggested"); document.writeln("prayer: Lord, fitting in with the world can be tempting, but help me stand out"); document.writeln("for you instead. The desires of this world are constantly changing, and I"); document.writeln("cannot keep up with them, nor do I want to. Your desires stay the same, and the"); document.writeln("more I seek your heart, the more I will be like you. Thank you for your"); document.writeln("unconditional love. In your precious name I pray, amen.
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document.writeln("1. Galatians 1:10 (NLT)
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Today\'€™s Encounter"); document.writeln("was written by: Gianna B.
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This and other devotionals by Richard (Dick) Innes can be read online.
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