“Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.” (Galatians 1:10)
God wants you to love all people, but loving people and pleasing people are two different things, according to the Bible:
To love someone is to serve God’s will God’s way in another’s life. This will be for their eternal good.
To please someone is to serve another person’s will their way so they feel good. This will be for their temporary happiness.
In the end, the difference between pleasing and loving people can be very confusing. The example of the world around us and our own emotions often lead us to pleasing people instead of loving them. The world says, “You don’t love me if you don’t please me.” That can be hard to face. However, by staying Jesus-centered each day, the Word of God and the Spirit of God can help us know the difference.
The key to always loving someone is making a commitment to please God first by obeying His Word. Although it may create some short-term confusion or conflict, obeying Christ’s example and His commands will always lead to God’s blessings in your life.