We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification. For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” (Romans 15:1-3)

Who Do We Please?

Pride and self-centered thinking are the bane of the soul. Selfishness is the trait of thinking only about oneself and what can be done for self-gratification. The world is a selfish place. It is all about “me, me, me” and little about others. Men pride themselves on their own accomplishments and glory regardless of others. Entitled people believe the world owes them everything because they are the center of the universe, demanding respect and recognition. The Christian lives above the selfishness of the world because they follow the example of Jesus Christ. God loved the world enough to send His only begotten Son, and Jesus loved the Father enough to empty Himself to walk in the flesh among men. Jesus did not come to earth to please Himself. He did not die to please Himself. His death on the cross was not about Him because He had no sin. In the greatest selfless act of Jesus dying on the cross, God shows the love of selfless sacrifice for others.

What makes the sacrifice of Jesus more astonishing is that Jesus died in the face of those who hated Him, yet He forgave them. He knew His sacrifice would bring the blood of redemption to humanity, accomplishing the eternal plan of His Father. Jesus had no sin, but He had to suffer and die to save the lost. His life was forfeited to serve others. He did not please Himself. Everything Jesus did was to save others. In a selfless act of love, the Son of God died so the world could find eternal life.

The example of Jesus is the pathway His followers must walk to be His disciples. Jesus did not please Himself, and His followers learn how to remove selfishness from their lives to help others. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Some struggle with greater burdens than others. Paul’s admonition to the Roman saints was for the spiritually strong among them to help those who struggled with weak faith. Not everyone is on the same plane of faith as others. Some, through years of struggle and devotion to God, have a deep and abiding knowledge of the love of God and the power of forgiveness. Those new to the faith face many struggles and often make many mistakes. Like a newborn baby, the Christian must grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ to maturity – but that takes time. The weaker Christian needs the help of the older Christians to be patient with them and help them.

A hallmark of the Christian life is the willingness of God’s people to seek out opportunities to please others ahead of self, leading to edification. The purpose is to build others up. An edifice is a building, and to edify is to build a strong support structure to help others endure the storms of life. Selfishness cannot accomplish the love of God. The Christian is not trying to please himself but to help others. It takes a sacrificial heart to do things that will edify another. When the strong in faith help the weak in faith, they do so not to please themselves, but to help others on their journey of faith. Walking in the footsteps of Jesus demands that those steps be measured by self-sacrifice. Christ did not please Himself. Follow His example.