Confessions of a Recovering People Pleaser

I have a confession to make. I am a "People Pleaser", and it can be rather bothersome at times. I really want to be liked and accepted. I want to be able to say with Sally Field, "You like me, you really like me."

 However, life is not an awards ceremony and ultimately people pleasing is a rather exhausting and frustrating activity. The good news is, I am in recovery. The bad news is, sometimes I relapse. The best news is God loves me anyway AND "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me"! 

Now, don't get all preachy on me, I know I am supposed to want to please only God. But I have three things (last count) working against me, and I sometimes don't recognize them, at least right away. They are the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life. I like the way Eugene Peterson put it in The Message: Practically everything that goes on in the world - wanting your own way, wanting everything for yourself, wanting to appear important- has nothing to do with the Father. It just isolates you from him. Still the big three are common to all who believe and do trip us up. All sin will fall into one of those categories at its root. 

Fortunately, Jesus supplies us with all we need to do battle with the big three. First of all, He laid down His life to gain our freedom and give us victory over sin and death. Then, He gives us our Spiritual Armour, His Holy Spirit, grace for the journey and friends in our faith. He lives to intercede for us and never abandons us. So how is it we, or I, still manage to find myself entangled in sin? "The devil made me do it", is not something that a believer can claim. The book of James tells us, it's our own desires that lead us astray. Jesus has severed the puppet strings, which Satan held, on those who call on His name in faith. So it goes back to the big three. All three are involved in the area of people pleasing. In it's most subtle way People Pleasing can lead us off God's path for our lives, as well as impact the work He is doing in the lives of others. It can busy us with activities that are not in accordance with His Ephesians 2:10 "good works" prepared in advance for us to do. It leads to discouragement with self, others and at times, those we want to please most! 

So, how can we avoid the People Pleasing disease in our lives? Well, I will say, we follow the One who came to lead the way. We pray, confess, and bring it into the light. Darkness and light are incompatible. Sharing our struggles with another brings light and keeps the enemy from making mincemeat out of we little sheep!

All that being said, remember that pleasing people can be a by-product (sometimes) of pleasing God. He is able to make our enemies at peace with us; how much more will he allow us to be pleasing to those who love us anyway and grant us favor with others. 

 In the end, knowing that regardless of who likes us or doesn't, we are completely accepted, embraced and loved- not just "liked", by the One who has given us all we need for every good work by the power working in us in Christ Jesus. 

You think about that. 

And be sure to let me know if you like my post. 

Oops, relapse. 

Intervention.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me! 

Have a God pleasing day, friends!

Dawn blogs daily about faith, trust and pixie dust @Beneath the Surface: Breath of Faith

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