We sometimes change ourselves to fit into crowds that we ought to run away from.
We feel the need to be a part of something; we crave acceptance, so in order to fit in we put our responsibilities behind us and engage in behaviors so unfamiliar to us that we barely recognize ourselves.
Sometimes we change because we care so much about what others think of us; so much so in fact, that we forget about what God thinks of us.
Why must we live life trying our best to please others when we have someone that approves us in spite of who we are? Why must we change ourselves for people who don't even know us when we have someone who loves us in spite of what we've done?
I'm not saying that we are perfect and have nothing we should change; even the best of us have issues that can use some devine intervention, however, if you are a person that is facing the pressure of wanting to please people, you will never be able to live a truely happy life.
There comes a time when you must ask yourself, am I living to please people or am I living to please God?
Galations 1:10 puts it like this; "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."
This scripture is basically telling us that we are the servants of whomever we choose to serve. If you're trying to please people then you are the servant of man, if you are living to please God then you are God's servant.
You must consider this in whatever you do because people can lead you astray but God knows your life from begining to the end.
Proverbs 29:25 states "The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe."
You know yourself and God wants to have a relationship with the person you are even if that person is broken and has scars that won't fade. He wants to have a relationship with you when you're at your best and when you're at your worse. He knows what you've done, the choices you've made and he loves you, even if you don't.
Stop living to please people; people weren't made to serve people.
The truth is, you can never please people no matter what you do because you weren't designed to serve people, you were designed to serve God!
Stop caring about what they think of you. Stop placing so much worth on the words of men and start seeing the immeasurable value of the words of God.
Mother Teressa wrote a poem on this same concept, it's entitled:
'Do it Anyway' and it goes like this
"People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centred.
Forgive them anyway
If you are kind,
people may accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Be kind anyway
If you are successful,
you will win some false friends and some true enemies.
Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and frank,
people may cheat you.
Be honest and frank anyway.
What you spend years building,
someone could destroy overnight.
Build anyway
If you find serenity and happiness,
they may be jealous.
Be happy anyway.
The good you do today,
people will often forget tomorrow.
Do good anyway.
Give the world your best you have,
and it may never be enough.
Given the best you've got anyway
You see,
in the final analysis it is between you and God;
it was never between you and them anyway."
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