Paul, the apostle, is speaking:
"Paul, an apostle—sent not from men nor by a man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead,..."
"Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ. I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human origin. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ. For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it. I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers. But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, my immediate response was not to consult any human being. I did not go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went into Arabia. Later I returned to Damascus."
These scriptures help me to rid myself of people pleasing and focus on purpose. Paul makes it very clear from the very beginning of his letter to the churches of Galatia that he was not sent from man but through Jesus Christ. In the same way, I realize that I am not sent by man and man does not give me my calling. So although I believe in being respectful to man I do not have to earn their approval before living out the gospel or living out the faith.
Paul is wonderfully confident in his identity and in preaching and defending the Gospel. Paul was once Saul who persecuted the church (Acts 9) but is now preaching Jesus. He was stopped in his tracks by The Lord and "immediately began to proclaim Jesus" Galatians 9:20. Once he became a believer, a brand new believer, he didn't waste any time. How encouraging and motivating that is to me! He was called by The Lord and he says that he didn't go consult with people first or go see others with the same calling to get their advice, he just went.
How many times do I hesitate even if it's just for a moment?
How often have I taken time to consult with others and waste time being analytical when I just need to go?
And when things got challenging and he had to defend his ministry he didn't let doubt take over or allow himself to be confused. He boldly shared his testimony and remained confident that he received the gospel from Jesus Christ.
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