“For do I persuade men or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still please men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ” (Galatians 1:10).

“I long for immediate validation and the emotional reward of present acceptance. I desire protection from isolation and rejection. Yet, I hold firmly to the truth that freed me from sin and trust Christ as my Redeemer. I cherish the Holy Spirit’s security and hope for heaven… I just don’t want to offend anyone”.

Do you recognize them? I do. I both heard and read such statements from sincere, yet fearful believers.Yet pleasing others—starting with those closest to us—has become so deeply entrenched in our cultural norms that we often feel compelled to step back, mentally at least, to examine our true motives. We ask ourselves —why should we share the unvarnished truth, stand against injustice, declare the wonderful works of God in our lives, or correct worldly views by measuring them against the imperishable Word?

We argue that pleasing God is an unseen, private, and faith-requiring attitude, yet we deceive ourselves with the slogan, “God knows my heart; He knows I don’t truly accept these lies as my norm.” From preschool through our professional lives,——– we are conditioned to prioritize being “nice”——– and avoiding the offense of our beliefs over upholding objective truth. We have allowed the true meaning of “love” to become entangled with the acceptance of evil and compromise, to the point where we are now “rethinking” foundational truths that have stood for centuries.

A reluctance to speak the truth—even among believers, for fear of appearing rigid or unbending—has quietly infiltrated our churches and gatherings. Without addressing sin, resisting worldly conformity, and confronting the real issues head-on, genuine correction remains impossible when our primary concern is simply pleasing people.

Thinking about these different views, I often go back to the first chapter of Galatians. In verse 10, the apostle Paul writes with a heavy heart. He warns the church strongly for not standing up against false teachers. These teachers were trying to pull the believers back into strict religious rules that no longer matter for people made new in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Lately, the desire to please God rather than people has become one of the central themes of my prayers. May I never chase the approval of others or crave human validation, but instead, strive in all I do and say to honor God, my Creator and Savior, Jesus Christ—even before I hear His ultimate words of “well done.”

I ask for the courage to stand for truth that may be unpopular, yet remains universal: not my own opinions, but God’s steadfast, scriptural truth! I am inspired by the example of genuine believers like Maryam and Marziyeh. These two young, educated Iranian women were consumed with a deep love for the lost in their city. Guided by the God who saved them, they launched a clandestine ministry in early 2000s Tehran, distributing New Testaments.

Despite facing imprisonment, torture, starvation, and verbal abuse—including being called “dirty infidels”—the women stood unwavering in their faith, even when threatened with life sentences. “There is nothing to think about,” Marziyeh declared. “We will never turn from Christ, never water down our story, never deny our Savior.” Such formidable faith stems only from a life wholly dedicated to pleasing the Savior, knowing one’s true identity in Him, and willingly risking freedom for a bold witness.

As I prepared this article, the Lord continually brought to mind Ephesians 2:10: “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” This is a verse so dear to my heart whenever I need reassurance of the good works, He has prepared for me to do. Yet, I told myself, it hardly seemed to fit this particular topic… Still, it kept returning to my mind, over and over, until I finally asked, “Lord, what is the connection to my theme here? I just don’t see it.”

“The good works, Otilia, are prepared by Me for all Christians to do,” He answered, “but they will never be able to walk in them—nor reap the fruitful results of such works—if their agenda is built on pleasing people, seeking immediate approval, or erasing the hard truths that confront the painful areas of life.”

I understood then. I am His workmanship. You are His poiema—crafted so skillfully that only the good works done for our Master hold lasting value. The fear of man is a snare that traps us into believing our worth depends on human approval. Do not let the fear of others erode the truth that reigns in your heart. Do not allow the noise of the world suffocate your songs of redemption!

The “workmanship” truth is God’s ultimate signature: He created us and carefully mapped out our path. Never hand the pen of your life to the crowd-pleasers. Instead, let us allow Christ to continue writing our story, guiding us into the good, bold, and beautiful works He prepared for us long ago. One day, we will undoubtedly hear the words of His eternal approval: “Well done, good and faithful servant.“

“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me”.  (John 15:4)