Article March 18, 1985 Issue

Are we trying to please people or to please God?

RUTH GIBBONS

Most people want to please others. And if sincere, this desire can be an expression of God, who is Truth and Love. On closer scrutiny, however, what appears on the surface to be a selfless desire to please others can actually be considerably less than generous or genuine, because behind it may lurk a selfish motivation. Sometimes we need to ask ourselves: Does this desire to please spring from a true concern for others' happiness, or does it express a far deeper, though often hidden, desire that they keep us happy? If our effort is to please others so that they will please us, the effort will seldom satisfy or accomplish its purpose.

Discernment of our own motivations requires deep humility and honest self-searching. The question always to be asked is, "Am I seeking to get, or am I striving to glorify God by upholding the highest possible standard of Truth and Love in all things?" In large part the answer to this question will determine our individual progress and our contribution to the world.

Christian Science adds a new dimension to the whole question of pleasing others, lifting it from the human to the divine. Mrs. Eddy writes, "Christian Science reveals Truth and Love as the motive-powers of man."^{Science and Health, p. 490.} Christ Jesus demonstrated a motivation so high that it transcended the selfish desire to gain mankind's smiles by pleasing everyone. His motive was not to please but to bless, to give the truth to the world and to glorify God. In carrying out this higher motive, he did make many happy, but he often displeased others.