“If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a slave of Christ.” (Galatians 1:10 HCSB)

Again and again the New Testament presents those redeemed by Christ’s death as slaves to God, slaves to Jesus Himself: We have been bought at a price (1 Corinthians 6:20); we do whatever He desires from the heart (Ephesians 6:6); we are slaves of God (Romans 6:22), and living as His slave is the only way to find true freedom (Romans 6:16-18, 1 Peter 2:16).

Contemplate this image. Strip away all the negative connotations of slavery. Think of a Master who is worthy of all honor, authority, and status, who is wise far beyond you, who therefore knows better than you what is in your own best interest, who understands your strengths and weaknesses, your capabilities and limitations – who loves you and will make you effective and productive in fulfilling His good purposes for your joy.

If you are a slave with such a master, it only makes sense to obey Him wholeheartedly, to follow His will in everything. It doesn’t matter what anyone else says, what anything else thinks, what anyone else asks, what anyone else does; you aim to please your Master, not others. Others may try to tell us we are doing things wrong; they may accuse us of being foolish or arrogant; they may command us to follow them or serve them; but we should ignore those other voices and slave for our wise, loving Master.

Now, our Master does instruct us to do good to others, to love others, even to serve them – but we do so in response to the Master’s command, in the way the Master explains, not in response to the commands of others or in the way they prefer. Thus Paul can say as a slave of Christ he is not trying to please people (Galatians 1:10) while also saying, “I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved” (1 Corinthians 10:33, emphasis added). That is, Paul does not aim to please himself, nor does he do whatever others want him to do; he obeys his Master’s command to make disciples of all nations, to be His ambassador, to share the Gospel – so that others may join Him in the glorious freedom of slavery to Christ. By obeying the Master, we love others in the best way possible, pointing them to the deepest joy.

We constantly face temptations, however, to please others in ways that are contrary to our Master’s command: To modify the Gospel, or not to mention it; to live as they instruct, rather than as God instructs; to quarantine Jesus to Sunday mornings, rather than acknowledging Him, following Him, and delighting in Him every minute of every day.

But when we see ourselves rightly as His slaves, as bought by Him, as redeemed by His blood, as being transferred from the kingdom of darkness to His Kingdom of light – we will ignore those siren songs. We will do neither our own will nor the will of others. Instead, we will serve Him to our fulfillment and joy.

This very day, may we see ourselves rightly as belonging body, soul, and spirit to Jesus Christ, and so aim to please Him in all of our interactions with others.