In his book, The Grace Awakening, Chuck Swindoll recounts a time early on in his ministry when the church he served faced a very difficult decision. A major meeting on the issue was set. His leadership board was split right down the middle.
Swindoll says that the day before the meeting, he drove out of the area to get some alone time with God. As he was reading the Bible, he came across Galatians 1:10.
Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please
men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.
That verse became the game-changer and liberator for Chuck. During that meeting, Swindoll says he voiced his support for the direction God was leading them. It wasn't popular, and he several people left the church over the issue.
Those are hard situations to deal with. During those times, we don't have God wagging his finger in our face, threatening to leave forever. Instead, those situations pit us against people we used to eat and spend time with.
Some people cave to the pressure. They don't like conflict, and as such, they'll sacrifice their beliefs, God's word, or God's commands to make peace with the people around them. Maybe you're like that.
Let Galatians 1:10 be your game-changer. Conflict isn't fun. But, when you're seeking God's approval, the threats and angry words of people you thought were friends can more easily bounce off of you. The approval of a perfect God overrides the approval of imperfect man each and every time.
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