Pleasing others

We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification. For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me. – Romans 15.1-3

We who are strong in the faith need to learn be patient with the weaker brethren. Nothing we do should be to please ourselves, but others because that is what Christ did for us.

That’s a pretty profound challenge. Christ took the reproaches of all mankind on Himself. He did that for our sake. He took my sins and my reproaches on Himself. He didn’t consider Himself, He thought about us.

To put it simply that is our pattern on the relationship to us and others. It really is not about us.

Don’t seek to please yourself, we read, seek to please others because that is what Jesus did. Pleasing me sadly is normally pretty high on my priority list. I like me and I like to make me happy. Sometimes making me happy gets in the way of pleasing others or caring for them.

That’s simply not right. I don’t need to win the fights. I don’t have to prove that I am right. I don’t have to look good at the expense of others. My goal ought to be to make my family and friends and neighbours and co-workers and brothers and sisters in Christ to ‘look good.’ My desire daily ought to be to do things which please them and not me.

Sacrificial?  Maybe, but how does that compare to the sacrifice that Jesus made for me?