Galatians 1:10  For am I now trying to persuade people, or God? Or am I striving to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ. (CSB)

Proverbs 29:25  The fear of mankind is a snare, but the one who trusts in the Lord is protected. (CSB)

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Rick Nelson, who some of us remember as Ricky Nelson, wrote and sang a song called Garden Party with the bottom line that says, 

You see, you can’t please everyone
So you got to please yourself. 
([https://bit.ly/3CfbJXd](https://bit.ly/3CfbJXd))

This conclusion is partly right. The Apostle Paul indicates in this chapter of Galatians that “you got to please God and not worry about everyone else.” It’s a little harder to sing to the Garden Party tune, but it gets right to the heart of the matter. 

I received a text message a few minutes ago saying that a friend who served as a pastor in our area before moving to Deep East Texas will probably lose his job today. A business meeting has been called after the morning worship service to that end. 

Talk about your bad days.

People are important. God loves ‘em all. Even so, not all of them are altogether lovely. Some of them are just plain mean. Some of them think their meanness is righteousness. Being right never permits us to be jerks. 

I’m standing in for a local pastor today. My text is Ephesians 4:32: 

And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ.
‭‭(Ephesians‬ ‭4‬:‭32‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

Kindness and compassion are the rules. Hard-hearted and mean are not. 

I wish my friend would experience kindness and compassion from his congregation this morning. Even if a separation is necessary, there are better ways to accomplish this than to call a business meeting at the end of Sunday morning worship. 

A mutual friend is making the long drive to Deep East Texas to be with our soon-to-be-unemployed friend. At least there will be some kindness and compassion in the room. 

Every day is a good day for everyone to anticipate kindness from us. This is true even in the most challenging moments. Be kind not to please others, but to please God who wants every grumpy person to experience the kind of peace that puts meanness out to pasture. 

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I will seek to live a kinder, gentler life.

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Our Father, please build more kindness, gentleness, and compassion into my life. May everyone now and forever anticipate kindness from me. Amen.