The past 5 months (or more) have been difficult. Incredibly discouraging. I have been caught between trying to please people, please myself, and please God. And who knew?... it's impossible to do all three at the same time! Have I been so foolish as to believe that it's possible to please God, myself and people all in one breath??
But thank God that He doesn't call us to do all three, but just one! Do we remember which one that is? Our actions tend to show that we believe it's pleasing others (ourselves included) before God... but really it's the other way around!
Here's the fault in trying to please people: People are greedy. You can hand them a million dollars and they'll always want more. You can spend an entire day with the person you love but you can both go home by the end of the day wanting more. You can get all the education in the world and have the greatest career, but people will always want more from you. More more more! That's what's expected from others and that's what's expected from ourselves! And because of all the preasure, we feel we need to EARN love! And we take that view to our God... who loves with NO CONDITIONS WHATSOEVER! Are we aware that His love already covered over every failure we'll ever have? His love is permanent! It's written in stone- you can't change it! You can't erase it! YOU CAN'T EARN IT!
So if that's who our God is- why do we run around tiring ourselves out to please everyone else, trying to earn their love? There is a difference between trying to keep peace with people and straight-up trying to grant everyone's wish! Loving someone does not mean you need to grant all their wishes. We are to take other people's NEEDS into our concern, but that does not mean we are to do everything they ask of us.
And then there's ourselves... It's funny because a lot of the things we do is to impress ourselves. Unless we are happy with ourselves, we are not happy. That is without a doubt the way I feel most times. Even if it doesn't apply to anyone else (but also make sure to check yourself before you deny it), it definitely applies to me. Unless I can impress myself, I am not happy. Unless I can impress someone else, I am not happy. And by the end of the day, I leave no room to receive God's love... love that is not moved by what I do or don't do.
God loves us. Not because of what we do, but because we were created in His image... a God who is perfect. We are HIS creation. We have no right to disown our worth just because we have failed someone else or ourselves... because we do not owe our life to anyone but to God. We were bought and forgiven by HIS blood, not by anyone else's. We don't even belong to ourselves... so our worth is not determined by anyone else but by God!
Psalm 139:14 says...
"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well."
I am not "wonderfully made... as long as I get a diploma or a degree."
I am not "wonderfully made... as long as I become a doctor."
I am not "wonderfully made... as long as I marry the 'right' person."
I am not "wonderfully made... as long as I make a lot of money each year."
I am not "wonderfully made... as long as I look like the person on TV."
I am not "wonderfully made... as long as I have a talent that gets an applause from people."
I am not "wonderfully made... as long as I am a strong person."
I am not "wonderfully made... as long as I am intelligent."
I AM WONDERFULLY MADE... PERIOD!
I would rather DIE trying to please God than LIVE trying please people!
MY worth, YOUR worth... does not depend on anyone else's opinions! I am no less than the millionaire in the mansion and I am no more than the homeless man on the street! Jesus himself had "no place to lay his head" (Luke 9:58)... yet He was the King of kings! He knew who he was and no one was able to take his power away just because they didn't believe in who he was!
I am not a disappointment because I don't please others. I am wonderful because I am made by God. He planned my life as well as He planned yours!
PERIOD.
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