people pleaser?

I’m a recovering people pleaser.

It used to be a big part of my identity. I would do just about anything to make someone happy with me. I craved their approval and admiration. I took criticism personally. It was built so deeply into who I was that it wasn’t really a conscious act. It was a reflex.

But the more time I spend reading about the life of Christ, Paul and others, I feel the Holy Spirit shaping me in a more healthy way. As I let the stories from these pages become part of my life, I find the desire to please people diminishing. Sure I love happy people and if I can share love, that’s great. But if I feel God nudging me to say or do something that may not be popular, that’s okay.

People’s approval is conditional. It changes and morphs. We’ll never make everyone happy at one time. So forge ahead seeking to please the only One who’s opinion really matters.

Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ. – Galatians 1:10 (NIV)