We speak, not to please man… We never came with words of flattery… Nor did we seek glory from people. – 1 Thessalonians 2:4, 5, 6
There was a second accusation against Paul—that he was motivated by a desire for the approval of others. You can see this from his answer in verses 4-6.
If Paul’s definition of success had been that everybody should think well of him, he could not have been faithful as an apostle. This issue of looking for praise, acceptance, and love from others runs deep in all of us. We all want others to think well of us.
Faith will be impossible for you if you allow yourself to be motivated by the approval of others. You cannot be an effective parent if you are driven by the need for approval from your children. You cannot give effective leadership in the church if you are driven by the need to be liked.
A faithful church cannot be led by men who put their finger in the wind and ask, “What does everybody want?” This might create a culture of comfort, but it will not advance the gospel.
This applies to everyone in the church, not just leaders. If we need to be liked by everybody, we will never do much for the gospel. The problem for some of the brothers in Thessalonica was that they were not ready for the antagonism of the world toward the gospel.
If you are going to be a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ, you have to overcome two impulses that run deep in every person: You have to overcome the desire for comfort, and you have to overcome the desire for approval.
Which of these two desires is stronger in you right now? Ask God to help you overcome it.
