11/ 8/14
Not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, Ephesians 6:6
10 For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ. Gal. 1
This statement, “IT ONLY MATTERS WHAT I THINK ABOUT YOU, NOT WHAT OTHERS THINK ABOUT YOU” is something that the Holy Spirit just spoke into my heart a few moments ago. I believe that it’s an important consideration to take into account. We as people, as humans, perhaps wonder from time to time, what others think about us. We want to be respected, to be looked up to, and to be loved. But God would always say that He wants us to please him and not man. We are not to look to man for recognition, or praise, or whatever.
This is the way that the world operates. People in the corporate world especially, if they are successful, are looked upon as being valuable and important in making the right decisions, and to be dynamic leaders. There are many considerations that come into play when one is a people pleaser. If you are this type of person, then you take responsibility for the happiness of others. Perhaps you feel guilty when you have to say no to a person. Do you believe that it is non-Christian to think about your own health and your well-being?
If you are this type of person then you probably need to refocus your attention back to God rather than thinking about all the types of ways you try to please others. Oftentimes, those that are trying to please others don’t have a firm grasp on what priorities are most important. Maybe they need to budget their time better instead of trying to always meet the needs of others so that they are valued.
When we look to the lives of those who spoke in the name of the Lord, like Elijah or many of the OT prophets, we see individuals who wanted to please God and certainly not man. Their faces were set as flint as they were sent out to speak to kings and others in the name of the Lord. Most of their communication was not always pleasant, and a lot of times they weren’t welcomed when they came. When one considers how Nathan the prophet was sent to King David about how he had deceitfully dealt with Uriah and his wife Bathsheba, we see one who didn’t shrink back in fear, but spoke truthfully to the king about what God had told him to say.
We are valued by God and accepted by him. And when we are self-accepting, we don’t need to go around seeking the approval and acceptance of others. Since God accepts us and loves us just as we are, we don’t need to prove anything to him. He knows all of our frailties and weaknesses. He knows our limitations and he also knows our strengths, gifts, and talents. Don’t shrink back in fear if God has given you something to do that is not popular or even welcomed by others. Trust that he knows what the final outcome will be, no matter even how you are received by others.
Stephen Hanson