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.
Galatians 1:10 ESV
I spent an entire year working on an event. It was the biggest event I had ever coordinated. There were several moving parts to get this going and hundreds of people to manage. I tried to take in account everyone’s needs and make it as easy as I could for all the participants. It was a logistical nightmare. The more I tried to accommodate the more accommodation people wanted. I felt like I was constantly chasing my tail. No matter how much I did, there was always someone unhappy. I stayed tied in knots for the duration of the planning. I just could not please everyone.
I know that many of you suffer from “people pleasing” just like me. There is this internal drive that compels me to do whatever I can to make sure everyone is happy. It always proves impossible. Then I feel like a failure and beat myself up for it.
I have finally come to realize that pleasing everyone is just not possible. I have also realized that I spend all my time trying to please others when I should be devoting time to pleasing God.
I think we, or at least me, are so focused on those around us that we forget about God. I spend too much energy on worrying about what everyone thinks and not on what God thinks.
It is impossible to fully satisfy human beings, though many of us try. We are not to be servants to men but to Christ. As Christians we are to share the gospel and the love of God through Christ Jesus. If you are fulfilling that mandate, you are doing more for those in your life than you ever would by running along behind them trying to make them happy.
My goal from now on is to seek God’s approval and not humans. It won’t be easy. People will still demand and expect preferential treatment, but it will be worth it.
I choose God.
Who will you choose? Man? Or God?
Typist for Jesus
Mustard Seeds, Modern Parables 