:: this post is a part of the 3.31 IMPACT series ::
If you would like to be encouraged further in living a live a life of impact, grab a copy of Impact My Life: Biblical Mentoring Simplified.
Focus
Galatians 1:10 NLT
Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant.
Decision
Do you struggle with the desire to please others?
Are you the type of person that does your best to keep the peace amongst friends and family?
Is it difficult for you to be honest with others when they are taking advantage of you or disregarding your feelings?
Do you find yourself conflicted between doing the right thing and fear of making others mad?
You’re not alone. People pleasing is a common problem for the very young to the very old. When you stop to think about it, it is actually a good thing that God made people who crave peace and desire to make others happy. Imagine if everyone was self-absorbed and demanded their own way all the time? Ouch!
The problem doesn’t lie in the desire to bring peace and happiness to others. The conflict rests in the fact that you’re motivated by a fear of being rejected or hurt. But it’s impossible to please others all the time!
[Tweet “In order to stop the cycle of people pleasing, we need to focus on pleasing God. “]
By choosing to live according to the Scriptures, demonstrating our love for God by our obedience to the Word, we will fall into a pattern of pleasing Him. In turn, the more we focus on seeking God’s approval, the more confidence we will have to speak truth in love and respond with grace and humility in our relationships. The stress of pleasing others will lift, as we come to see that the feelings of others is not our responsibility.
Surrender
Heavenly Father, forgive me for focusing so much on pleasing others. Help me, Lord, to be aware of this tendency. Give me courage to give up the sense of being responsible for the feelings of others, so that I can spend more time focusing on living for you. In Jesus’ Name, Amen!
Reflection
Do you struggle with people pleasing? What first step can you take toward living in a way that please God most of all?
Join our tribe!
You’ll get an exclusive download and only one email a week with blog updates!
[mc4wp_form]
This is so me and I’ll try to work on it. Thanks for this post!