Early in my ministry, I learned a hard but necessary lesson. I was deeply concerned about offending people in the congregation. I carefully guarded my words, avoiding anything that might make someone uncomfortable or rub them the wrong way. Part of that came from fear—fear that if I preached tough, challenging truths, I might lose my position or be asked to leave. Another part of it was a desire to be liked. I wanted everyone to be happy, feelings unhurt, and seats filled week after week.
In the process, I became more focused on pleasing people than honoring God. Without realizing it, I placed the approval of man above the call God had placed on my life. I stopped fully seeking the Holy Spirit in my sermon preparation because I was more worried about reactions than obedience.
Eventually, the truth became clear: I could never make everyone happy—and trying to do so was costing me my faithfulness to God. I realized that my calling was not to please the crowd, but to honor the One who called me. My responsibility as a pastor is to preach God’s Word faithfully, trust Him with the results, and let Him do the work in hearts. Pleasing God—not the masses—is the only path that truly matters.