Galatians 1:10

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 servant of Christ.

So much of what we do in life is a quest for validation from others or ourselves. We play sport so that we can have our sport skills validated. We try for promotions, or even just a job, to have our work skills validated. We undergo creative endeavors to have our creativity validated. For everything in my life where I don’t think I’m doing it for validation, there is something else for which I am.  In his letter to the Galatians, Paul writes  ‘If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ’. The context of this is Paul is disputing that he is like the false teachers, trying to please man. Instead he is being faithful in his God given commission to preach to the Gentiles and say what needs to be said through love. Even Paul, a great man of God, was being accused by his opponents that his messages were an attempt to please men. How much easier it is for our own opponents of Christianity to look at our lives and where we seek validation and accuse us of not pleasing God but attempting to please man.

I personally experience how difficult it is to find my validation in God alone, not in others. Even this blog, in some ways, is seeking the validation in myself that I can communicate the Gospel to others, and I have a firm grasp on some difficult theological ideas.

Psalm 37:5-6

Commit your way to the Lord;
    trust in him and he will do this:
He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn,
    your vindication like the noonday sun.

ASK YOURSELF: What am I doing for the validation of others, not for the glory of God? Who is seeing me pursuit earthly validation?