Give up people-pleasing and seek God’s blessing.
The impulse to please other people is common in the human experience. We please by giving in to another’s desires, by buying approval, and by only telling people what they want to hear. Some people agonize over whether what they said offended or was off-putting in some way.
No one wants to deliberately hurt or offend others. The Hebrews writer even said, Work at living in peace with everyone, Hebrews 12:14. He didn’t say kowtow; he did say work at being a peaceful person.
The person we should work to receive approval from is God. If we do that, everything thing else will fall into place.
Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, Colossians 3:23.
Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God who can destroy both soul and body… Matthew 10:28.
Question: Who do you most want the approval of? What do you do to secure this approval?
Activity: Make a list of things you believe God would really like to see you doing. Pick out one item on the list to start working on today.
Prayer: Lord God, we know when we’ve compromised our values in order to win or maintain the favor of others. “Keeping up with the Joneses” is a favorite pasttime of humans. We want to be courageous and truth-telling people. Help us to be peaceful but not to the point of losing your approval. In Jesus’ name. Amen.