We must choose to please God over pleasing people.

It’s a fear of disapproval:

In some ways, pleasing people is driving our culture. We must learn to please God. In fact, there is only one we must please, and that is God. A people pleaser attempts to make everyone happy. God cannot please everyone, and I believe we are foolish to think we can. A people pleaser has a fear of disapproval; this affects everything in our lives — what we eat, what we wear, what we do, how we talk.

It’s an addiction:

People pleasers don’t know how to say no. It’s an addiction to approval. We just simply want to be liked and accepted. We don’t want to be left out or rejected, so we attempt to please the people around us. If we are like this, we will miss God, and always feel disappointed in ourselves. I believe because of social media it is a real dilemma in our country.

It’s a stronghold:

Now, there is nothing wrong with wanting to please your parents, wife, husband. Nothing wrong with wanting to be liked, loved, and approved of by your friends, co-workers, family, or neighbors. (The truth is, if you are only concerned about yourself, you are a narcissist or a sociopath.) So, even though we want to be liked or loved, accepted, it becomes a stronghold when it is an obsession — when it dominates us. When we are too afraid of being rejected, we will do anything to avoid that happening.

Put God first:

People pleasers have no boundaries. People who are healthy do. We must break this stronghold in our lives by putting God first. When God is first, people have less influence over us. When people are first, God has less influence in our lives.

So, we get to choose to be a people pleaser or a God pleaser. God pleasers are blessed. They have real purpose for their lives.

I Thessalonians 2:4 (NLT)

For we speak as messengers approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News. Our purpose is to please God, not people. He alone examines the motives of our hearts.

Proverbs 29:25 (MSG)

The fear of human opinion disables; trusting in God protects you from that.

You decide!

Just a thought,

PSS