“I, too, try to please everyone in everything I do. I don’t just do what is best for me; I do what is best for others so that many may be saved.”
— 1 Corinthians 10:33
“Try to please everyone” is a phrase that can make us uncomfortable. After all, we often hear that we shouldn’t worry about what other people think. We can’t make everyone happy, and trying to do so can leave us exhausted and frustrated.
But Paul is talking about something very different.
He isn’t describing people-pleasing. He is describing selflessness.
It’s Not About Me
Paul says, “I don’t just do what is best for me; I do what is best for others.”
That is a powerful challenge in a culture that constantly tells us to put ourselves first.
Our natural tendency is to ask:
What do I want?
What is most convenient for me?
What makes me happy?
What benefits me?
Paul encourages us to ask a different question:
“What is best for the other person?”
That doesn’t mean ignoring our own needs or allowing people to take advantage of us. It means that when we have a choice, we deliberately consider how our decisions will affect others.
That is the heart of Christian love.
Jesus Is Our Example
Jesus demonstrated this perfectly.
He continually put the needs of others ahead of His own comfort. He touched the leper. He welcomed children. He stopped for the blind, the sick, and the hurting. He listened to people others ignored.
And ultimately, He gave His life for us.
Philippians 2:4 says:
“Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.”
Jesus didn’t live asking, “What do I get out of this?”
He lived asking, “How can I serve?”
That should shape the way we live as His followers.
Sometimes Love Means Giving Up Our Rights
The context of Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 10 is important. Paul is talking about personal freedom.
There were things Paul could legitimately do, but he was willing to limit his freedom if exercising that freedom might become a stumbling block to someone else.
That’s an important principle.
Just because we can do something doesn’t necessarily mean we should do it.
Christian maturity means learning to distinguish between our rights and our responsibilities.
Sometimes love says:
“I could insist on my way, but I’ll gladly give way for someone else.”
Sometimes love means choosing the restaurant someone else enjoys.
Sometimes it means listening instead of talking.
Sometimes it means giving up our preference in a church service, a family decision, or a ministry situation.
Sometimes it simply means being patient with someone who is difficult.
These may seem like small things, but they reveal something significant about our hearts.
The Bigger Purpose
Paul gives us the reason for his selflessness:
“So that many may be saved.”
That changes everything.
Paul wasn’t trying to please people because he needed their approval. He wasn’t afraid that someone might dislike him.
His motivation was mission.
He wanted people to encounter Jesus.
His choices were shaped by a larger purpose than his own comfort.
This is a tremendous challenge for us.
People are watching how we live.
They notice how we respond when we don’t get our way.
They notice whether we are demanding or gracious, selfish or generous, impatient or patient.
And sometimes our behavior can either open a door for the gospel—or close one.
What Would Change If We Lived This Way?
Imagine if we entered every day with this simple prayer:
“Lord, help me look beyond myself today. Show me how I can bless someone else.”
Imagine bringing that attitude into our marriages.
Into our families.
Into our churches.
Into our workplaces.
Into our friendships.
Into conversations with strangers.
Instead of constantly asking, “What can I get?”, we begin asking, “What can I give?”
Instead of asking, “How can I get my way?”, we ask, “How can I serve?”
Instead of asking, “Who is going to notice me?”, we ask, “Whom can I encourage?”
That kind of life becomes a powerful testimony.
Don’t Become a People-Pleaser
There is an important balance here.
Pleasing others does not mean compromising biblical truth.
It does not mean saying yes to everything.
It does not mean allowing someone to control you.
It does not mean living in fear of criticism.
Jesus Himself disappointed people. He confronted hypocrisy. He said difficult things. He refused to change His message simply because someone might be offended.
Our goal isn’t to make everyone happy.
Our goal is to love everyone well while remaining faithful to God.
Paul’s example shows us that sometimes the most loving thing we can do is surrender a personal preference for the sake of another person’s spiritual good.
A Life That Points to Jesus
At the end of the day, Paul’s words challenge us to live with our eyes beyond ourselves.
We have been blessed so that we can bless others.
We have received grace so that we can extend grace.
We have been loved so that we can love.
And we have been given the good news of Jesus so that we can help others discover Him.
So today, before making a decision, pause and ask:
“Is this simply what I want, or is there something I can do that would be better for someone else?”
That question could change the way we treat our spouse, our children, our friends, our neighbors, and even difficult people.
And who knows?
A simple act of selflessness may become the very thing God uses to open someone’s heart to Jesus.
Lord, help me not to live simply for myself. Give me eyes to see the needs of others, a heart willing to serve, and wisdom to know when surrendering my preferences can help someone come closer to You. May the way I live point people toward Jesus. Amen.
