GALATIANS 1:10.

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.

TO PONDER:

What drives you in life? What motivates you? Who are you living for? We all live for something. That's what is at the heart of the reading today. We have a two year border collie who is motivated by affection. He will move from person to person to get hugs, scratches and pats. If you ignore him, he will push his nose into you until you wrap your hand around his snout and give him a good scratch on the nose. He lives for the love and affection of people.

Paul points to what many people live for today - pleasing others. That the choices made and the behaviour seen is motivated by a desire to win the approval of people whose opinion we care about. Who is it for you? A parent? A spouse? A teacher? A person you want to be noticed by? Paul in this first chapter of Galatians shows how subtly this approach to living can take us away from the good news of Jesus, the Gospel. Our desire to please others becomes the focus of our life which takes our focus off of Jesus and the freedom that he gives.

You already have the approval of the one whose opinion we should most care about. God. He loves you and delights in you, not because of your achievements, not because of anything you have done or not done, but simply because he loves you. When you live in that reality, it takes the pressure off. You don't have to run like our border collie from one person to the next to find validation and approval, you have it every second of every day. That's grace...and that God's gift for living. Receive it.

PRAYER:

God of grace, thank you that because of your son Jesus, I live with your approval. Give me your Spirit that I may live today in a way that brings honour to your name. Amen.