Are you a people pleaser? I don’t like to admit it, but I am. I love to hear compliments. I long for people’s approval. It’s hard not to get excited—or discouraged—by how many “likes” my Facebook posts get. It’s easy to get wrapped up in how other people think about us.
So Paul in the Bible gives us a warning—a pretty strong warning—about the dangers of people-pleasing: “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). Can you see the danger? If my life is all about pleasing other people, there a good chance my desire to win people’s approval will lead me away from Jesus. Because other people and Jesus usually don’t want the same thing!
Thankfully, you and I don’t have to win Jesus’ approval at all. He gives it to us. Jesus already thinks you’re pretty special. He died for you! Jesus already calls you his brother or sister, because he’s made you a child of God. It doesn’t get any better than that! There’s no need for people-pleasing. Live today with the peace that through Jesus you already have the approval of the One who matters most.
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