Galations

- 1: 10 "Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men?  If I were  still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ."

I needed to read this.  

Grahm called me out on something that I know I really struggle with.  I'm constantly trying to win others approval.  I don't use my kindness or gentleness but I always want to be seen as brilliant, pretty, and talented to others.  This is not to say that using kindness of gentleness would be correct in this sense because any thing that isn't used for the glory of the Lord but for my own gain is the enemy of my best potential.  The Lord wants me to have a heart that finds him sufficient.  It is pleasing Him that is my end game; the most important of my efforts.

- 2:11 "When Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong. (Paul was sitting with Gentiles but upon the arrival of Jews began to return to old customs and sit only with them for fear of their judgement, the other Christians followed him.)  14 When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter in front of them all, "You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew.  How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs?"

Obviously Paul's point is that we are all no longer under the law so being confident in this will keep people like Peter from falling back into their old ways of living separated from the Gentiles because of the law.  

What I noticed is the way in which Paul calls Peter out.   It says he said these words in front of everyone which sort of acknowledges that there isn't any shame in messing up.  But what is interesting is that he doesn't seem to directly address it the way I might have.  He doesn't come out accusingly: "You sat with the Gentiles before, but when you arrived you started only sitting with the Jews for fear of their judgement!"  

THIS i know is something I would do so I can say it would be fueled out of the desire to personally enjoy some sort of thrashing of another person.  I wouldn't be looking out for the person themselves.

When I think about how I would look out for the person, I immediately imagine that I would pull them away some where by themselves.  I would then say it in this blunt manner but I think I would be safe from accusation that I had done it meanly. 

The way Paul does it shows that he believes no one could accuse him of wrongdoing.  

He says it in the open for the Christian community to hear, but he says it in a way that seems to sound a little more filled with grace.

I don't think that I'm mature enough in the Lord to call a person out like this.  Somehow it seems like I would have trouble and my own self would get in the way too much.  But I'm sure the Lord had me notice this for some reason.  If only to stop my mouth and allow another to rebuke people that I see doing wrong.... or to ask the Holy Spirit to help me if I'm asked to call someone out for THEIR benefit and for the LORDS benefit.