Not as pleasing men, but God

1 Thessalonians 2:4

But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.

It is the greatest trust of all, the most sacred stewardship, the most heavenly calling to be put in trust with the gospel. For is there anything more valuable than the gospel of Christ? This is the gospel by which the world may be saved, and is that one message that the Lord wants all to hear. It is the Gospel of God! And we have been put in trust with this gospel! Is this not an inestimably high calling? God has entrusted the gospel into our hands! We must not fail Him! We must not let it slide! We must be stewards of this. We were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel.

Now, as we speak the gospel, what is the motive and the cause of our speaking? Do we seek to please men? For if we pleased men, we should not be the servants of Christ. We must not do this to please men. Yea, we must not do anything to please men. Pleasing men is a lost cause! It cannot be done! Some are implacable, unable to be pleased! You will never penetrate their stony character. They shall never be pleased. And the greatest danger that we face is the danger of seeking to please men. Do not try it! Only seek to please God. For He is the one who trieth our hearts. No one else knows the heart, no one else is your judge, and no one else are you answerable to. Only the Lord! So let us seek to please Him only. Others may not understand your heart. They may think you fanatic, crazy, or insane. They may think you to be antiquated, old-fashioned, or not up to the times. But what of it? It matters not! Others may not comprehend your zeal and desire, but we are doing nothing for them; only for the Lord, for He tries or proves our hearts. He knows what is within when no one else does. Therefore, let us not seek to please men, but God alone.

“Dear Lord, we thank you for the exhortation that you have given through this one verse. May our heart be to please you alone, and not others. No doubt, if we please the Lord, our enemies shall be at peace with us. But if not, we shall not be concerned with it. We shall please you alone. May that be the incentive of all that we do. In Christ’s name we pray, Amen.”