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The Daily Devotional
Sunday, June 28, 2026
Known by God
“For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? For if I were still pleasing men, I wouldn’t be a servant of Christ.” — Galatians 1:10
Reflection
Cameron worked in a bustling downtown café. He loved the rhythm of making lattes and chatting with regulars, but he dreaded Sundays. Not because of the crowds or the rush, but because of the lingering comments: “You’re a Christian? But you’re gay. How does that work?” The question wasn’t always hostile—sometimes it was just confused—but it carried weight.
Some questions do not merely ask for information. They ask a person to defend their existence, explain their heart, and prove their belonging. For Cameron, the café counter became more than a place of work. It became a place where he quietly carried the ache of being misunderstood by some people in the very world where he longed to belong—the Christian world.
Galatians 1:10 speaks into that tender place. Paul writes to the churches in Galatia because the gospel of grace was being pressured and distorted by those who wanted believers to measure their faithfulness by human approval, social expectation, and religious performance. Paul knew what it meant to be questioned. He knew what it meant to have his motives examined and his ministry challenged. Yet he brings the matter back to one searching question: Whose approval are we seeking—people’s or God’s?
This does not mean that other people do not matter. It does not give us permission to be harsh, defensive, or careless with our witness. Paul himself often adapted his approach so others could hear the gospel more clearly. But he refused to let human approval become his master. He understood that a life of faith cannot be built on the shifting ground of pleasing everyone.
For LGBTQ+ Christians, this verse may carry a deep and personal weight. Some may know the pain of being questioned by fellow believers. Some may have been told, directly or indirectly, that their love for Christ is confusing, suspicious, or impossible. Others may feel caught between communities—too Christian for some LGBTQ+ spaces, too LGBTQ+ for some Christian spaces. That kind of tension can become exhausting. It can make a person feel as though they must always explain themselves before they are allowed to pray, worship, serve, or simply rest in God’s presence.
But Galatians 1:10 reminds us that our deepest identity is not secured by winning every argument or satisfying every critic. We are not saved by public approval. We are not made faithful by having everyone understand us. We are not held by the opinions of those who see only part of our story. We are held by the God who sees the whole heart.
At the café, Cameron eventually learned that not every question needed a long answer. Some days, when someone asked, “How does that work?” he would simply say, “I love Jesus, and I’m learning to follow Him faithfully, one day at a time.” It was not a debate. It was not a defense brief. It was a testimony. Like the steady pouring of milk into espresso, it was simple, quiet, and real.
There is wisdom in that. Faithfulness does not always look like convincing everyone. Sometimes faithfulness looks like showing up with integrity. It looks like speaking truth gently when the moment is right, and remaining silent when the conversation is not offered in good faith. It looks like refusing to let shame write the story God is still writing with grace.
The challenge of this verse is not only for LGBTQ+ Christians. It is for all of us. Every believer must ask: Am I living before God, or am I trying to survive by managing everyone else’s approval? Am I allowing fear of rejection to shape my obedience? Am I shrinking my witness because someone may misunderstand me? Am I performing faith instead of living it?
To seek God’s favor above human approval is not to become proud or unteachable. It is to become free. Free to love without pretending. Free to listen without being ruled by fear. Free to serve without needing applause. Free to walk humbly with Christ even when others do not understand the road beneath our feet.
Today, the invitation is simple: release the burden of answering every critic. You do not have to explain your whole life to every passerby. You do not have to make your faith legible to those determined not to see it. You are called to live before God with honesty, humility, courage, and love.
Let your life become a quiet witness. Let your prayers rise even when your voice trembles. Let your kindness speak where arguments fail. Let your discipleship be rooted not in the need to be approved by everyone, but in the grace of the One who already knows you fully.
God sees the heart. God knows the tears behind the questions. God honors the courage it takes to keep seeking Him when others make faith feel like a locked door. And in Christ, the door of grace stands open.
Prayer
Loving God, You know us more deeply than any person ever could, and You see the places where misunderstanding, rejection, fear, and weariness have touched our hearts. Help us to live before You with honesty and courage, seeking Your favor above human approval while still walking in humility, patience, and love. Strengthen LGBTQ+ Christians and all who feel questioned or unseen, reminding them that their prayers matter, their faith matters, and their lives are held in Your care. Teach us to speak with grace, to listen with compassion, and to follow Christ faithfully one day at a time. Amen.
Devotional by: Kenny Sallee, ThM — Deming, NM, USA
The Bible texts are from the World English Bible (WEB), which is a Public Domain Modern English translation of the Holy Bible. The World English Bible is based on the American Standard Version (ASV) of the Holy Bible, first published in 1901, the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia Old Testament, and the Greek Majority Text New Testament. It is in draft form and is currently being edited for accuracy and readability. All rights reserved.
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