Galations 1:10 (NLT) says, “Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant.”
How much time do you spend in your life trying to make everyone around you happy? How often do you change the person you are because you want people to like you? How many times do you go with the crowd because it’s the cool thing to do? We usually see this type of thing play out in the lives of teenagers but it’s actually a sad truth for people of all ages. As I’ve talked about before, each of us is set on a certain path by God. Unfortunately our journey on that path may cause others to question what we are doing, dislike us, and speak badly about us.
As you go through your life there are going to be those who are not for you. No matter what good you do they will not celebrate you. You could find a cure for cancer that saves millions and they will say you should have found the cure sooner. No matter what you do it won’t be good enough. Many times that person not celebrating your life is someone very close to you, not a stranger. This is when it’s extremely devastating to you. Because that person is someone close, you work harder to gain their approval. The harder you work the further away their approval is. If you are not careful you become someone you are not because all of your focus and effort is on trying to be the person that will please them.
I am thankful to have extremely loving parents who have supported me throughout my life. I have never had to be someone I’m not for them to approve of me. It is refreshing to know I can be me, the person God has called me to be, and they are right there for me, cheering me on. But I know that is not the reality for everyone. For some of you the person you’ve been trying to gain approval from all these years is a parent.
The most important question to ask yourself during these times is, “Am I pleasing God?” Our heavenly Father wants you to live a life of obedience and love. Your actions and your life should be focused on pleasing Him, not everyone else around you. When you are focused on pleasing Him you are focused on the things important to Him. You are full of the Fruits of the Spirit, you are loving others and you are being a blessing to those around you.
The great thing is by you focusing on pleasing God first, some of those people you’ve been trying so hard to please start seeing you in a different light. As is says in Romans 14: 17-18 (NLT), “For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God, and others will approve of you, too.” The genuine love and confidence that comes from you when walking with Christ will draw people closer to you.
Unfortunately, there will still be those who look at you negatively even though you are walking with Christ. At that point, you have to keep loving them as Christ calls you to while also praying for them. Pray they will feel the love of Christ within their hearts which will fill it with the Fruits of the Spirit and change their lives.
No, you will not be able to please everyone in this world. But remember, your focus is not on this world but the eternal life promised to us by God. John 12:25 (NLT) says, “Those who lover their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity.” Don’t let trying to please everyone keep you from the eternal life promised to you.
Truth in Love! ~ Chuck