Becoming A God Pleaser

No one would truly admit they are “people-pleasers.” Most Christ-followers would want to believe that they are always God-pleasers. They would acknowledge that they do things to please God, but if they are really honest, many are actually “people-pleasers.” People pleasers usually have a void, and try to fill the void with being liked or accepted, just having a desire to fit in. Most times, people-pleasers don’t even know that they’re people-pleasers, and can live their entire lives in the shadow of others and never live out the true purpose for which they were created.

My experience in my walk with the Lord has caused me to be open and honest with God and with myself. While I loved the Lord, I realized that I wasn’t pleasing Him in many areas of my life. When there was an answered prayer, the first person I ran to or called on wasn’t Him. There were times when I needed to make important decisions in my life and the first person I went to, wasn’t Him. While I was speaking to God, I came to the realization, that the level of intimacy we had wasn’t there anymore. His role became secondary. I had become a people pleaser and didn’t even know it.

The Lord spoke to me earlier this year and told me He wanted a deeper level of intimacy with Him, and the journey was a bit hard, like seriously, really hard! I didn’t even know when I began to lose myself, and who I had become, I wasn’t pleased with. The thing about being a people pleaser is that their cause becomes yours, their agenda becomes yours, their fight becomes yours, and if you’re not careful, you will lose who God have created you to be, and become…them. I had to learn that every good thing was not quite the God thing the Lord wanted me to do. I acknowledged the fact that I was uniquely created by Him and that by pleasing others, I was robbing Him of His original intent for my life. This awareness began a journey to love and see myself the way He saw me, and the more comfortable I became in and with Him, I became uncomfortable with pleasing others.

Living a life to please God sometimes looks foolish to others, but the by-product of it brings joy, peace, and contentment. There is only enough space for one master in our lives. When we choose to please God over the opinions, mindsets and beliefs of others, we are liberated to live out, not our truth but His. Becoming a God- pleaser is possible, but it will take boldness, courage, tenacity and a special grace to love like Jesus. Daughter of Fire, if I can do it, I believe that you can too!

“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)