Galatians 1 - A thought

Had an awesome time this morning reading in Galatians Chapter 1. Two things, in addition to many others, really jumped out at me. First of which is in verse 10 where Paul is discussing whether he seeks the approval of men or of God. I thought to myself....”this is such an easy thing to screw up.” Even in church world. Is it a healthy thing to serve and respect the leaders/elders above me within the church. FOR SURE! That’s biblical...but the important distinction is “why” I serve and respect them. I strive to do this not first and foremost because of their position. But rather I do this first and foremost because it’s biblical and it’s what pleases the Lord. I love how Paul very clearly states at the end of verse 10 that you cannot be a servant of Christ is you are striving to please man. It’s not both....it’s either/or. Either I’m a servant of Christ.....or a servant of man. I have to choose. Secondly, I love how Paul ends chapter one. He’s sharing a bit of his testimony of how he, Paul, used to persecute Christians and destroy the church....and now Paul is preaching Christ and preserving the church. The people he’s preaching to are astonished at this and Paul ends this chapter by stating that “they glorified God because of him (Paul)” Instantly, I thought....that’s the measure. That’s the bar by which we’re supposed to measure effectiveness. For me....it’s not about who likes my songs, who knows the words, who’s moved by music, who raises their hands, who’s outward in their worship or introspective....not compliments, not pats on the back, not praise from a pastor or an elder board, not affirmation from my wife..........even though on a human level I love those things......the most important gauge of our effectiveness as followers of Christ is how much GLORY is given to Jesus, His Father and the Spirit. So let that be a question that you ask today.

How much glory do our lives really give to the Lord?