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.

Who Does God Say You Are?

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;        I Peter 2:9    

     Many believers do not really know who they are; the power and the authority we have as believers.  In order to fully perform at the level that God wants us to operate at, we need to first of all know who we are and the power we possess.       

I was inspired by a song that I listened to in church this past Sunday to write this message. I   never heard this song before until yesterday.   As we were dancing and praising God, the message of this beautiful song began to minister to me .  It reminded me of whom I am in Christ and I am led to ask you the same question and also remind you of who you are as well. So my beloved sister, Do you know who you are? Who does God say you are? 

In order  to live an effective Christian life, you need to know and believe who you are in CHRIST.  Many people  will try to tell you who you are by what they see, hear, feel and think about you, but beloved it is only God who knows everything about you inside out, The Lord knew you even before you were conceived; His words reveals this to us in Jeremiah 1:5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”  and in Psalm 139:14  it states that ''you were fearfully and wonderfully made by Him."   In order to be whom God has destined you to be and live the life that He has intended for you, you have to understand your full identity in Christ.

Through His divine word, God has revealed to us over and over again who we are in Christ and we need to believe that with all our hearts and walk in boldness and confidence knowing that we are the Daughters of the KING of Kings, the Great I AM that I AM.  We are hidden in Christ Jesus, that is our identity.  Colossians 3:3.  We are God's Masterpiece,  Ephesians 2:10,  We are of a Royal priesthood, His own special people, I Peter 2:9.     The world will try to label you, they will call you all sorts of names.    Based on the world's label, some Christians have allowed themselves to be deceived, easily led astray.  Before you can fulfill your divine destiny, before the Lord can activate more things in your life, a transformation of your mind needs to occur.  You have to allow God to refine and purify your mind, body and spirit in order to move out of  that "state" that you have been in for a long time..  The "state" or  "position" where you have allowed people and the enemy to define who you are and what you are meant to become thereby leading you down the wrong path.

Beloved, I leave with you the following additional scripture verses that will help you to remember who you are in Christ, your true Identity.   I encourage you to read and meditate on these words as often as you can.  As you do so the Holy Spirit will minister to your inner man and you will begin to see the transformation taking place in your life in Jesus name. 

• " But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: " John 1:12

• " having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,  Ephesians 1:5

• Therefore receive one another, just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God." Romans 15:7

• "For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily;  and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power."  Colossians 2:9-10

• " But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him."  1 Corinthians 6:17

• "knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin."  Romans 6:6.

• "Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually. " 1 Corinthians 12:27

• "you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies. Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;    1 Corinthians 6:19-20
• "See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him ; Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears,^a we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. "  1 John 3:1-2    

• " But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.  "  1 Peter 2:9     
• " For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit." Ephesians 2:18

• "offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ to be a holy priesthood into a spiritual house you also, like living stones, are being built."  1 Peter 2:5
• " For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God."  Colossians 3:3

Remember You are God's anointed, God's chosen, The apple of His eye, His Princess, a daughter of the Living God, a joint heir with Christ, a New Creation .

Because You know who You are, I encourage you to Walk in Power, Boldness and Confidence today my sister.

ENJOY THE VIDEO, SHALOM