I Cannot Please People


I Cannot Please People:

"Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ." (Galatians 1:10)

My efforts to please people have quietly eroded genuineness and joy away from the shores of my personality for years and years now. I've been so inwardly paralysed by the fear of letting people down, hurting someone's feelings, and upsetting people, that at times, I lose sight of the reality that I'm made for so much more than enslaving myself to the master of human whims.

"The fear of man brings a snare, But whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe." (Proverbs 29:25)

When I trust in the Lord, I am shielded, favoured, and blessed. On the other hand, when I trust in man, I am suppressed, fearful, and burdened.

God doesn't want us to live shackled with the task of living up to human expectations. God has taken the law of expectation and replaced it with the New Covenant of grace.

"Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant." (Hebrews 7:22)

"But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people." (Jeremiah 31:33)

HE is our God. We worship Him alone. We're not ruled by the desires of this world. We're not made to continually strive to achieve what the world wants. We are made for the Lord's purposes. It's no wonder that when our lives are directed towards pleasing other people, we feel empty and exhausted.

I've decided to forfeit my chase for human approval. After all, the only One whom I wish to please is the Lord God Himself, and lately, I've been feeling a real tug from Him on my heart. I can feel that He is pulling me in closer.

He's whispering to me the secret to a satisfying life, "I desire you. I am overjoyed when you deny the futile attempt to follow the world's fleeting fads, and instead turn to me with a thankful heart filled with expectancy and trust. I am most pleased when you simply rest and surrender to the flowing waters of my unending grace and favour."

Receiving His blessings (no matter how "too good to be true" they seem) with an attitude of gratitude pleases Him. Trusting in the sheer beauty of all that HE is brings Him great joy. HE is the One to please, and it's not a chore to please Him either. HE is the only One who matters, and the only One who satisfies.

Living life apart from the mainstream current, deviating from the rush of this world's ways. This is the route by which we're called to travel. When we surrender to His unfathomable grace and favour, His kindly charismatic heart bursts forth with even more blessings upon blessings. His gentle compassion takes my breath away.

"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." (Matthew 6:33)

Oh Father, when I'm Yours and You're mine, my life plays in perfect harmony to the rhythm of Your heart. When we are Yours and we embrace You as ours as well, this is the state in which You are pleased and we are fully satisfied.

"This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it." (Psalms 118:24)

So abandon the burden of pleasing humanity, and embrace the grace found in the streams of Living Water flowing from the generous heart of God. Surrender to the flow of His unending grace, mercy, and favour today. May your day be filled with rejoicing and rejuvenating. God be with you all.


-The Introverted Evangelist

Comments

  1. AnonymousAugust 30, 2014 at 9:11 AM

    Powerful thoughts. I've always taught in past preaching engagements about living for God for the glory of God. We should indeed strive to please God and not men.

    More good scriptures are this:

    Colossians 3:17 (KJ21): And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father by Him.

    1 Corinthians 10:31 (KJ21): Whether therefore ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

    I've posted this scripture in years past and a friend of mine told me this was her favorite scripture (this is in proportion to the scripture you shared from the Book of Matthew saying to seek God and His righteousness):

    Psalms 37:4-5 (KJ21): Delight thyself also in the Lord, and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass.

    Look at that promise that God makes us if we live for Him for His glory. A lot of people say that they do good when everybody else is watching them. Well, what if nobody is watching them? I believe that they should do the right thing for the glory of God.

    So, we should strive to touch the heart of God . . . sometimes, we need to get our minds off of people and get our minds set on touching the heart of God. Plus, think about this: We are called according to God's purpose, not our purpose, not their purpose, but God's purpose. To me, a Christian is a mature Christian when their purpose is God's purpose, when their desires are God's desires.

    Philippians 2:5 (KJ21): Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.

    That's what makes a Christian a mature Christian . . . when they have the mind of Christ.

    One last thing, when you talked about trusting God, it reminded me of what one preacher said years ago. He said he had lost faith in a lot of people and God told him that the best thing for him to do is to start trusting God and stop trusting people. He went on in the message and said that God is looking for people who will serve Him for who He is and not for what they can get. That is the key integer . . . to serve God for who He is and not for personal gain.

    Anyway, I hope you have a good Labor Day weekend, and thanks as always for sharing your heart with us.

    Talk to you again soon,
    Jacob Huffman

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Claire ElizabethAugust 30, 2014 at 2:59 PM

      Hi there, thank you so much for reading and sharing your thoughts. I really enjoyed reading your comment! I love those verses as well. Isn't it so wonderful that God has given us so many verses to call to mind whenever we need? I love it! His Word is part of our armour!

      The part where you said, "start trusting God and stop trusting people" really stood out to me. In this world, so many people are dishonest and try to trick you, but God is not malevolent or devious in any way. Proverbs 30:5 says, "Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him."

      Thank you again so much for taking the time to read the devotionals and share your thoughts. What an encouragement you've been to me! May the Lord bless you abundantly!

      Sincerely,
      The Introverted Evangelist

      Delete
    2. AnonymousAugust 31, 2014 at 3:46 AM

      Thank you so much for your reply. I am glad to let my words be seen and my voice be heard. God gave us the Word to read, to study, to stand on . . . and to be a little more concrete, God gave us the Word to be. One preacher once said, "I know you're in the midst of a hurricane, but find a word that God has given you and put your two foot on it."

      Thanks again for your reply. May God bless you as well. :)

      Delete

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