Trying to please people? Good luck with that!

Am I the only one that has to relearn some things over and over and over again? Some things I get...and I get them good! Other things I get, forget, get, forget....

Recently, I am re-learning this:

No matter how hard you try, how "good" you do, how pure your heart may be, you will never please people. You may please some, but not all! Heck, sometimes you may please most, but never all! No matter what you do, somebody is going to have some issue with it (especially if you are in the leadership spotlight).

I am finding this:

• Do not focus your attention on who you let down or disappoint. That just leads to despair and discouragement.
• Do not focus your attention on who is "proud of you" and applauding you. That just leads to pride and self attention...putting the glory where it does not belong. And besides, in a month from now, they may be the very one that has a problem with you.
• (Note: both of the above are geared toward PEOPLE!)

Instead....

• Place your full attention on pleasing the LORD!! Obey him! Make choices that please him! Do what HE is prompting you to do, and say what HE is prompting you to say. Worry most about his approval and his opinion. I know, I know. This is hard! But...
• The more that we live to please the Lord, the more clearly we can tell who in our lives has the heart and mind of Christ. People that are upset with you for seeking the Lord, are not people you need to be allowing to shape you.

My love language is words of affirmation. As a Words of affirmation guy, this is extra hard stuff for me. But I am learning. Slowly.

Jesus was a "Father-pleaser", not a "man-pleaser"!! If anything, he was a "man-ticker-offer"!! (I made that word up...wow!)

And then, the Apostle Paul said this....

"Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant." Galatians 1:10