We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts. (1 Thess. 2:4)
Expanded Passage: 1 Thessalonians 2:3-4
Newly married and recently discharged from the army, the young man was trying to get his bride and her dog across the country to family in Arizona when his tire blew. Every call came up empty; no one had that one in stock. Stranded in a Walmart parking lot in Upstate New York on a cold, bitter December day, he approached person after person seeking help. It was our friend Melody who responded to him, and then noticed the young woman in the backseat with a blanket around her trying to keep warm. Melody called us, asking if we could take them in. She would house the dog and track down a tire.
With Christmas only a few weeks away, our schedules were already packed with church responsibilities. Taking in these two would only add to an already busy load. I looked at my husband, and he nodded his head. A short time later the weary couple settled into our guestroom.
God sees the true condition of our hearts through testing, revealing who we choose to please. Three days later a grateful couple and their dog left to continue their journey, touched not just through us, but through the love and generosity of our church family. I’m glad we all chose to be God-pleasers.
Choose to be a God-pleaser, even when it’s hard.
Marcy Burke enjoys living in Alabama, being a retired pastor’s wife, former missionary, and worship leader. She enjoys playing the piano and taking long walks with her husband, Larry.
© 2026 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
