Not Here to Please People

I've always been a people pleaser. I try my best not to disappoint those around me, and often times that means that I am sacrificing something else- whether that be my boundaries, my peace, my space, or my time.

We are not here to please people.

We are here to mirror Christ and please God (Galations 1:10).

Believe it or not, we were all placed on this earth for a reason. God handpicked you and He knew you when you were in your mother's womb (Jeremiah 1:5). How crazy and amazing is that?! To think that he intricately made every single part of you. There will never and could never be another you. I thought about this a lot when I was pregnant with my daughter, Peyton. It was incredible to me that I had an actual growing human being in my belly. I thought it was the most beautiful miracle. And one of my initial thoughts when I gave birth was, "How could people not believe? Look what He does. Look what He creates. This living, breathing child was housed in my body for nearly 10 months."

You might be wondering, "Well, if God knew me in my womb, then what does that mean exactly?"

It means that He knows your innermost thoughts, the deep desires you have in your heart, the things that make your soul smile, your irrational fears- you name it, He knows it (Psalm 139:2-6).

Now, nothing lasts forever in this world- except Christ and His love and salvation. That means that we are here for a limited amount of time. And we are here to fulfill our God-given destiny and purpose. We don't have time to waste. We can't worry about who approves of our lifestyle, the choices we make, or the direction we are heading in. When God made you, He did not have to consult with other people. His opinion is the only valid one.

If we know and believe this, it makes it easier to believe that we are not here to please people but to live out our destiny and purpose according to His will for our lives. The more time we spend worrying about who and what agrees with this process, the less pleased God is. And while he offers us His grace and mercy, why should we waste our time being consumed with the things of this world (Romans 12:2)?

If you're anything like me, you can be a little scared to speak up for yourself. It's taken me a long time to be secure in who I am- enough so that I am unafraid of people's opinions.

If you don't agree with how I raise my daughter, well you're not God.

If you have a problem with me setting boundaries, well good thing I'm not put here to please you.

If you feel like your opinion is necessary, I'll show you the only opinion that matters.

Once we start to view ourselves in the same light that God views us, we are able to stand firm in our beliefs and values. Sometimes it takes drastic life changes or circumstances for us to view ourselves the way that God views us. He believes that we are precious (Proverbs 3:15), and if He believes it, why do we care what other people say or think?

I challenge you to think about a time where you might have been focused on people pleasing. What was the outcome of that specific situation? How could you have better handled setting boundaries and following God's word rather than what other people said?

The next time you are put in a position where you are tempted to please man rather than God, stop and think. Do not make any impulsive decisions that may make you uncomfortable, test your boundaries or contradict what God told you.

Stand firm on His word and remember that God's word is the same now as it was thousands of years ago.

You have a purpose.

And your destiny is not tied to people who are more focused on their selfish wants than they are on your success and spiritual growth.