Galatians 1:10
10 Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.
I have always been a people pleaser. I have always been sensitive to criticism, even constructive criticism. I find myself living and working so that others will not find fault with what I do. I don’t like confrontations. I don’t like when other people are upset with me. This is my personality. It isn’t a bad thing to want to do my best, but it becomes a bad thing when the reason I want to do my best is for the approval of people and not for the approval of God. I have found that even when I do my best, I will not please everyone. Someone will be dissatisfied or upset by what I do. I would take so much pressure off of myself if I just focused my efforts on the things that please God. God is the only one that really matters. If I do what is right in God’s eyes, nothing else really matters.
Do you work to please man or God? Do you live to please man or God? Do you make decisions based on the opinions of man or God? The next time you have a decision to make, instead of asking yourself if so and so will approve, ask yourself if God will approve. You can take so much stress off of yourself by focusing on what God wants of you. Don’t worry about pleasing mom and dad, boyfriend, friends, or bosses, if it isn’t what God would want for you then don’t do it.
I know it is hard to deal with the disappointment or anger of loved ones, but challenge yourself this next week and only do what God would approve of and see if you aren’t blessed in the process.
Patti Burris 