Becoming a God Pleaser

" not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bond servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a bond servant or is free. "  Ephesians 6:6-8  NLT

Are you concerned about pleasing God than men or the other way around? This is a question we all have to ask ourselves from time to time. Many times I have asked myself that question when certain situations come up in my life. Beloved, are you the type who is consumed with making others happy at the cost of your happiness? Are you the type that will compromise your beliefs or morals just to please your boss or colleagues in the workplace, or even a friend? If you have answered yes or maybe to any of these questions, then it is time for you to shift your focus from pleasing men to pleasing God.

Our utmost goal as believers is to please the Lord God who loves and accepts us for who we are because He created us in His image and after His likeness. He knows our flaws, our shortcomings and yet accepts us as we are. As God pleasers, our focus should be on doing the Father's will, serving others in the name of Jesus Christ and knowing that our labor of love shall never be in vain. His words say in Hebrews 11:6 that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him. It is important to put God first in our lives because He will always stand by our side both in the good and "not so good" times. "For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.” So we can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper so that I will have no fear.

What can mere people do to me?” Hebrews 13:5-6. People will disappoint you all the time, people you try to please on a daily basis will forsake you when things get rough. When they feel you are no longer relevant, they will drop you like "hot potato," even your loved ones will disappoint you, but the Lord will never abandon you and me as His word reminds us, He will never fail us no matter what

Beloved do not seek approval from man because no matter what you do, what you say, disappointment will come. When I was younger, I always felt that the type of friends I hung out with, the schools I attended, the family I came from, the area of town I lived in defined who I was, and so I sought other people's approval of who I am to make me feel good about myself. As I matured as a Christian and a Woman over the years, I realized that all that was absolute "nonsense." My identity is hidden in Christ, the approval I seek is God's and not any imperfect mortal being like me. Brother Paul states that perfectly in Galatians 1:10 " 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." Now don't confuse pleasing people with helping or showing love to others; it is important that we bless others through goodwill service as the Lord has commanded us, but we must do so in a healthy manner, and that is serving with compassion and kindness, giving all the glory to God in the process. Also, in our daily interactions with people generally, be it at work, at home, in our communities, etc., let us communicate in a healthy, loving and productive way that will also honor the Lord. Scripture tells us in Colossians 3:23 " Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward and that the Master you are serving is Christ." Whatever we do on this earth, in our interactions with people, do it as unto the Lord and not unto men. Let us learn to impress Him always because it is such a wonderful feeling when our God delights in us.

Brethren, all I am encouraging you to do today is to strive to put God first before anyone. Put your trust in God always and not in people because the same people you are trying to impress will fail you someday. It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man. Psalm 118: 8. Shift your focus to pleasing God all the time and how to do you this, by serving God through blessing His creation (people) wholeheartedly with our gifts, talents, time and resources.