| Galatians 1:10 – “‘God is the One I am trying to please.” |
Have you ever wondered what leads seemingly good individuals astray? We witness the wreckage of human history—the fallen celebrities, the once-revered coach forced to scrape for a job after being caught cheating, the successful businessman who loses everything and tragically takes his own life. These are the tales of humanity’s downfall.
But it is the biblical story of Saul, the first king of Israel, that deeply perplexes me. At first glance, he appears as a commanding figure, towering above the short inhabitants of Benjamin. Yet, he tends to lowly donkeys, desperately yearning for someone to listen to him. Shyness consumes him, causing him to hide among bags to evade the searching eyes of Samuel.
Then, everything changes. Samuel pours oil from his flask, anointing Saul’s forehead and cheeks, symbolizing the anointing of a king. Suddenly, Israel has its ruler. With this newfound power, Saul becomes the center of attention. However, troubles soon befall him.
At Michmash, tension fills the air as Saul’s jittery troops face the threat of the Philistine army. Samuel, unfortunately, fails to recognize the urgency of their situation. A sacrifice must be made, and as Saul paces back and forth, he realizes that his men expect him to act as their king. So, without hesitation, he takes up his sword, slaughters a lamb, and hurls it onto the altar. Done. Who needs Samuel? The troops are pleased, but God’s prophet is not.
Then comes the divine command: Attack Amalek. Annihilate them completely. Spare no one, not even a single breath. The command seems harsh, even too harsh. And yet, Saul sees an opportunity to display his power over this arrogant nation and its king. They possess livestock that could bring immense wealth. So, with a blinded king in tow, tied up like an animal, they embark on a cattle roundup. Saul’s men rejoice, but once again, Samuel appears, his irritation palpable. Why do the sounds of bleating sheep and lowing cattle fill the air instead of the sounds of death? Saul’s excuse? He wanted to please his men. The troops were satisfied, but God was disgusted. So disgusted, in fact, that He stripped Saul of his kingdom, leaving him to die, his body hanging on a pole.
What made the difference? Saul should have been celebrated with a ticker-tape parade, but instead, he found himself devoid of glory, surrounded by lost opportunities. If we listen closely to the recurring theme of Saul’s life, it is this: he did whatever the people wanted. He possessed an insatiable hunger for public approval. As George Eliot once wrote of one of her characters, “The opinion of others formed the very air he breathed.”
The apostle Paul understood the importance of prioritizing one’s values in a world full of people. He asked himself, “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.” (Galatians 1:10, NIV)
Let us allow God to be our guide as we strive to help others. His approval far outweighs that of anyone else.
Robert G. Taylor
robertgtaylor.com
