The Blessing of Pleasing Both

“And all the people took notice of it, and it pleased them: as whatsoever the king did pleased all the people.” (2Sa 3:36 AV)

That to which this passage is referring is the mourning of David over Abner.  Not only did he mourn, but his lamentation condemned Joan as a wicked man for killing honorable Abner.  His act of charity, forgiveness, and respect went a long way in winning the hearts of those yet to ally themselves to David.  He acted as a gracious sovereign would act.  He showed the proper respect for his adversaries understanding that warfare is not personal.  But what we want to notice this morning is that a leader is not failing or compromising if he seeks to please the people.  It only becomes a problem if the desire of the people is in conflict with the will of God.  Then, God must come first.

There is a wonderful balance which the man of God can enjoy.  It warms my heart when I can please the people and please the LORD at the same time.  Sometimes, that is impossible.  In fact, the majority of the time God comes first and the people have to learn to adjust.  But there are times when the prophet can please both.  It is even said of Christ that in his early ministry he pleased both God and man.  The two are not necessarily in conflict all the time.  Keeping the correct balance is a difficult thing.  Many pastors err in one direction or the other.  In the old days of fundamentalism, the mentality used to be a hard nosed preacher who was at constant odds with the people he lead was considered a good leader.  If there wasn’t a little friction in the house of God, it meant the preacher had compromised.   In our current generation, the pendulum has swung far too much the other way.  Preacher-politicians abound.  No one seems to be standing for truth anymore.  The man of God bends over backwards to impress the people he is leading so he doesn’t lose anyone or he can boast about how great of a preacher he is.  Somewhere, there must be a balance.

All I can tell you is that it is a wonderful experience to be able to please both God and man at the same time.  That is the greatest experience the preacher can have.  It doesn’t always happen.  But it can happen.  And nothing will deepen a relationship between the man of God and the sheep than to seek ways in which he may please the sheep without compromising his convictions or the will of God.