The apostle Paul said, "If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ!" (Gal. 1:10). People-pleasing is a killer for all minstry, not just for prophetic ministry. Sometimes church-going people can be the meanest, most demanding folks in the world. When someone not only thinks he's right, but is also sure that God is one his side, look out! In that person's mind, by opposing them you are opposing God, and they will not hesitate to launch a holy crusade against you. I think it was Pascal who said, "Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction." It's much easier to try to please these rebellious folks than to resist them, to flatter them instead of tell them the truth.
In the Old Testament, false visions and flattery go hand in hand (Ezek. 12:24). When prophetic people give in to the pressure of telling people what they want to hear, they end up prophesying out of their own imaginations (Ezek. 13:2). The desire to please people leads a prophet, or any other leader, to ignore sin and give vain comfort (Lam. 2:14; Ezek. 13:15-16; Zech. 10:2). In the worst case, this desire to please can open the door for a demonic spirit to speak through a prophet (1 Kings 22:6-28)
- Surpruised by the Voice of God by Jack Deere
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