DATE: Monday 04 May 2026
TOPIC: “THE PRESSURE TO PLEASE PEOPLE”
TEXT: 1 Samuel 15; 1-24; 30-31
MEMORY VERSE: “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” – Galatians 1:10.
A people pleaser is someone who puts the needs and desires of other people above his or hers, so as to get their approval and acceptance. He/she struggles to say no. Pleasing people is a very common thing these days. It is synonymous with peer pressure and generally happens when a person wants to be accepted in a particular circle or does something to obtain favour.
In our Bible reading for today, God commanded King Saul to completely destroy the Amalekites and all their possessions as judgment for their actions against Israel. Instead of full obedience, Saul spared King Agag and the best of the sheep, cattle and fat calves, destroying only what was weak or worthless.
The motive was to please the people. When confronted by the prophet Samuel, Saul admitted his failure, saying, “I have sinned; I have indeed transgressed the command of the Lord and your words, because I feared the people and listened to their voice“. Saul prioritized the approval of his army and the people, over the command of God. Samuel told him, “You have rejected the word of the Lord and the Lord has rejected you as king over Israel!”.
PRAYER: Father, help me to be obedient to your command regardless of what others around me are doing in Jesus’ name, Amen.