In an interview, a famous actress was asked how she achieved her huge success in a recent film. She said, “I am a people pleaser. I was just so desperate to please everyone – please both my parents, do really well on the film and please my acting school…. sadly, sometimes I felt like I was being ripped into five pieces.”
People pleasing is popular. We all want to be loved, liked and accepted so we often find ourselves doing things to make other people happy even if we are ourselves are unhappy doing them. We want people to be proud of us, proud to know us and proud to be around us. We have a desperate need for the approval of everyone, when we really only need the approval of one.
Galatians 1:10 NLT puts it best when it says, “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.”
I will admit that I am a recovering people pleaser. I spent much of my life saying yes to people and in turn not realizing that I was in the same breath, saying no to God. I never wanted anyone to be disappointed in me, upset with me, or not love me. But God in His lovingly kindness, taught me some truths.
No matter what I do, not everyone will love me and those who do love me will never love me the way I want to be loved. No person can do that, only He can. Once we are secure in our relationship with God and understand the love that flows out of that relationship, we put all of our efforts into pleasing Him and not them. I would rather please God and have a few people upset with me, than to please people and have God upset with me.
– Crystal Denkins
