Stop Trying to Fit Their Box
“Am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.” – Galatians 1:10
The apostle Paul knew what it was like to be put in a box. People had a long list of reasons why they thought he was unqualified to be an apostle. He was not one of the original twelve. He never walked side-by-side with Jesus like Peter, James, and John. His past was messy, marked by violence against the very people he was now trying to serve.
To many, his past disqualified him. To others, his lack of traditional apostolic experience made him an outsider. And to the religious leaders of the day, his teaching about salvation by grace through faith was too radical. They wanted him to conform, to follow their traditions, and to adopt their ways before they would accept him.
But Paul refused to live inside that box. He knew who called him, and it was not the approval of men that gave him purpose. It was Jesus Himself. His confidence was not in matching the experiences of the original apostles but in the fact that God had personally chosen and equipped him to do the work. Paul understood that if he spent his life trying to fit into everyone else’s mold, he would never truly fulfill the mission God had given him.
This same pressure still exists today. People will try to tell you what your calling should look like, what steps you must follow, and how your life should align with their expectations. But God’s call on your life will not always fit neatly into someone else’s framework.
If you keep trying to earn everyone’s approval, you will eventually lose sight of God’s approval. Paul reminds us that the goal is not to please man, but to serve Christ. That means letting go of the need to be validated by others and holding fast to the One who gave you your assignment in the first place.
So, whose approval are you living for? If it is God’s, stop trying to fit in the box others have built for you and start walking fully in the freedom of your calling.
The apostle Paul knew what it was like to be put in a box. People had a long list of reasons why they thought he was unqualified to be an apostle. He was not one of the original twelve. He never walked side-by-side with Jesus like Peter, James, and John. His past was messy, marked by violence against the very people he was now trying to serve.
To many, his past disqualified him. To others, his lack of traditional apostolic experience made him an outsider. And to the religious leaders of the day, his teaching about salvation by grace through faith was too radical. They wanted him to conform, to follow their traditions, and to adopt their ways before they would accept him.
But Paul refused to live inside that box. He knew who called him, and it was not the approval of men that gave him purpose. It was Jesus Himself. His confidence was not in matching the experiences of the original apostles but in the fact that God had personally chosen and equipped him to do the work. Paul understood that if he spent his life trying to fit into everyone else’s mold, he would never truly fulfill the mission God had given him.
This same pressure still exists today. People will try to tell you what your calling should look like, what steps you must follow, and how your life should align with their expectations. But God’s call on your life will not always fit neatly into someone else’s framework.
If you keep trying to earn everyone’s approval, you will eventually lose sight of God’s approval. Paul reminds us that the goal is not to please man, but to serve Christ. That means letting go of the need to be validated by others and holding fast to the One who gave you your assignment in the first place.
So, whose approval are you living for? If it is God’s, stop trying to fit in the box others have built for you and start walking fully in the freedom of your calling.
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1 Comment
Good word as usual