The Danger In Pleasing Imperfect Humans

King Herod arrested James and put him to death. When he noticed that what he did met with approval among the Jews, he then seized Peter. As we noticed, King Herod was after of people’s approval. He wanted to please them to the point of sacrificing someone’s life. Perhaps, he was thinking about the fame and the power that he might gain the moment he followed what the people wanted.

According to the commentaries, this was Herod Agrippa I, the grandson of Herod the Great, the king who ruled during Jesus’ birth. Now, he wasn’t the only king or leader who wanted to please the crowd. The Bible mentioned about Pilate, the governor who handed Jesus to be crucified. In Mark 15:15, it was stated, “Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged and handed him over to be crucified.” Just like King Herod, Pilate allowed Jesus to be crucified in order to satisfy and please the crowd.

If you will try to read the bible, you will identify people who made terrible decisions because they wanted to gain approval from others. And many of us need to be reminded of this truth. There’s a danger in pleasing imperfect humans. If we will always focus on gaining their approval, then we are like a house with no solid foundation. This is the reason why it’s very important to trust in the word of God. Because He alone knows the truth, and we can trust that no matter what people say, His words will always prevail.

We need to listen to God and stop pleasing the people around us. It’s good to help and support them, but if we will anchor our identity according to what they say, then we will be destroyed in the end. We will also make terrible decisions, just like what happened to King Herod and Pilate. Let’s remember that God alone knows our true identity.

Prayer: Father God, thank you because reminded us about who we are in your eyes. Please give us the courage to listen to your voice, instead of listening to the world. Please teach us how to overcome this desire to please others. We pray that you will fill our hearts with your love. So that we may never forget what matters most in the end. Thank you so much Lord for everything. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.