"Stop regarding man, whose breath of life is in his nostrils; For why should he be esteemed?" Isaiah 2:22
Am I the only one who struggles with trying to please people? I always want people to be happy with me. I always want people to agree with me. But guess what? People are fickle. Trying to please people will leave you tired and unfulfilled. Because you are never going to please everyone all the time.
Brothers and sisters, I have been very much impressed by the fact that we MUST let go of our people pleasing. A time is coming and is already here in which we will have to choose between pleasing God and pleasing men.
Jesus said, "A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master. It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. If they have called the head of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign the members of his household!" (Matthew 10:24-25).
Let us ask our God to rid us of needing to make people happy with us because that is detrimental to our walk with God. Because my identity is still somewhat tied to what people think of me, when they accuse me of whatever they're going to accuse me of (I feel like we can pretty much expect it, based on Jesus' statement), I feel wrong and confused. Maybe no one will accuse us of having a demon. But maybe they will. Or maybe they will accuse us of being "too radical." Or maybe they will accuse us of being judgmental or closed-minded. Whatever it is, it will happen. The question is how will we respond when it does.
Am I the only one who struggles with trying to please people? I always want people to be happy with me. I always want people to agree with me. But guess what? People are fickle. Trying to please people will leave you tired and unfulfilled. Because you are never going to please everyone all the time.
Brothers and sisters, I have been very much impressed by the fact that we MUST let go of our people pleasing. A time is coming and is already here in which we will have to choose between pleasing God and pleasing men.
Jesus said, "A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master. It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. If they have called the head of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign the members of his household!" (Matthew 10:24-25).
Let us ask our God to rid us of needing to make people happy with us because that is detrimental to our walk with God. Because my identity is still somewhat tied to what people think of me, when they accuse me of whatever they're going to accuse me of (I feel like we can pretty much expect it, based on Jesus' statement), I feel wrong and confused. Maybe no one will accuse us of having a demon. But maybe they will. Or maybe they will accuse us of being "too radical." Or maybe they will accuse us of being judgmental or closed-minded. Whatever it is, it will happen. The question is how will we respond when it does.
Amen! Good word!
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