A Sin that We all Too often Embrace

I thought I'd write today about something pretty close to my heart. Something that I think can be a sin struggle for a lot of Christians if not all at sometime or another. I have certainly wrestled with it.  It is a sin that can even look "Godly" on the outside.  The church often embraces it.  Others might even encourage it at times. However, this is an ugly and messy sin, and it can keep us from fully devoting our lives to pleasing God.  

What is this sin you ask? !!!!

People Pleasing. When we worry about what others will think, what others will say, or how we will be perceived more than we are concerned about what God thinks then we have created an idol out of people.   Galatians  1:10 says,  "For 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." (ESV)  When we aim is to please anyone other than God alone, we will fail. Not only will we fail, but he is our MASTER, and when we meet Him one day it will matter. Colossians 3:23-24, "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ."

Maybe your thinking, "But come on, practically speaking, I have to do this or that for this person . . . people do have expectations?" How does this really play out? Hear this, "Slaves, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free. Masters, do the same to them, and stop your threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and that there is no partiality with him." Ephesians 6:5-9 (ESV) God wants us to work at all times and in all situations that we are serving him even when others are involved.  Not only that, His expectations, yes His expectations are the ONLY expectations, again THE only expectations that truly count.  

Why does it matter for the church as a whole?  If we spend time pleasing one another in the church and doing only what makes one another happy, God would not be honored. God says, in Colossians 3:23,  "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,."  When we live for him, and not for ourselves, we can truly get after the work of the Lord.  

Anyone else struggle with this? Any thoughts?