Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up. 3 For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.
Romans 15:2-3
Romans 15:2,3 teaches us to make a practice of pleasing our neighbors but we clearly need to find some balance.
After all we are called to be God-pleasers, not self-pleasers nor people-pleasers.
Through the experiences we go through in life we learn that if we don't make an effort to please people then they will not approve of us, but reject us.
The apostle Paul said in Galatians that he didn't seek to be popular with people yet in 1 Corinthians he said that he tried to please people and accommodate himself to their opinions and desires in order that they might be saved.
Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ. - Galatians 1:10
Even as I try to please everyone in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.- 1 Corinthians 10:33
Even though these verses may seem to contradict each other, it is important that we understand Paul's motives or his heart behind them.
What Paul meant by pleasing people is to maintain a good relationship with them in order to them to accept Jesus Christ as their Saviour BUT at the same time and most importantly, while pleasing God in order to fulfil the calling on his life.
It's all about balance.
I Have lived in a foreign country for almost 8 years, and I have had to accommodate to many things that I was never taught in my own culture. Some things have not been easy or comfortable...yet I have had to do so in order to show the locals Christ's love.
On the other hand, this culture (as all others) also offers things that are not Scriptural...or actually contradict God's Word.
It's about pleasing people as long as it does not cause us to displease the Lord.
The Bible is very clear in this aspect. Acts 5:29 says that we must obey God rather than Men.
We cannot please people at the cost of compromising our consciences to do so.
We cannot please people based on the fear of rejection judgement or on what people may think.
Instead we should be grace- based God pleased who strive to follow God with all of our hearts while seeking to serve and minister others without compromising our consciences.
