John 5:41-42. Man-pleasing.

I do not accept praise from men, but I know you do not have the love of God in your hearts.

Most men love the praise of others, but Jesus was only concerned with the praise of God the Father who sent him.

We love to look well in the eyes of other people, but this gets in the way of our love for God and our appreciation of His love for us. What commends us to men? Our wealth? Our cleverness? Our wit? Would that it were our honesty, our humility, or our sacrifice.

Even those who lead us are tempted lest their performance in the pulpit is insufficient or their prayer-life inadequate or their preparation of sermons underdone. It is good to do our best for the Lord, but man-pleasing is not what we are here for.

For those with the love of God in their hearts it is only God they seek to please. Imagine a man besotted with his new wife. Should he treat her in such a way that impresses the neighbors? In no way! His job is to please his new wife.