People Pleaser

I'm tired of saying yes, just because I'm afraid to say no,
that it affects what I wear, what I eat and how I act.

I'm tired of being boxed in other people's opinions,
that I sometimes forget who I really am.

I'm tired of pleasing everybody,
that I forget of what God's calls are for me.

I'm tired of being used and manipulated.
I'm just a collection of expectations of others.

We all have dreams and hopes that keep us going each day. And as dreamers, we can never get away from constant advices, expectations and judgements, which sometimes are great, but can also be misleading. Worse, even we can dream of the wrong dreams and live with the wrong purpose.

Why were we created on this planet at the first place anyway?
Think yourself as the inventor of a gadget with a new technology that is unknown to the world. And imagine your invention having thoughts of its own, and that it questions to the reason it exists. It would get a misleading answer if your invention to ask the question to another invention. You are the only one in the universe that has answer to its question. Alike, as creations, we can only know our life purpose if we set our hearts and minds on our Creator.

Pleasing people based on love can be the right thing to do. But not the case if it causes us to miss God's purpose in our lives. You cannot please everyone in the world—your spouse, your family, your boss—and follow God's purpose of your life at the same time. God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life. The problem is, my spouse loves me, my family loves me, and they too have a wonderful plans for your life. They told you that you will make a good artist, teacher or scientist. But if we miss what God's calls and purpose in life, how much does your life worth at the end?

If God is not big in out life, then everybody else does. We are in the middle and are pressured to decide: Which opinions do we value more? Everybody else or God? Who do we want to please more? Everyone else or God?
Of course everyone else can be driven by God's Spirit. That is why we have to pray for wisdom to see God's Words beyond people's expectations. If it leads us to sins that keep us away from growing in Christ like Pilates (Mark 15) and Peter (John 18:15-18), then it is not from God.

For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.

II Corinthians 10:18

I always relate pleasing people as wearing different masks before different people. This action causes hypocrisy in our lives as it teaches us to wear multiple masks that change dramatically in different situations. Integrity, friends, is more important than popularity.

Sometimes silence can be golden. Sometimes it means cowardness. For if you know what is right and do not defend it, you have sinned. Truth is, my friend, we are called to speak out. Speaking out does not mean being disrespectful of other beliefs. It means caring, because if I have a good news and do not share them, I'd be an awful person.

If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and does not do it, it is sin for them.

James 4:17

Now we are only left with a question:
        Who's going to hear the heaven's voice through you, if fear is not the issue?

Fear of man will prove to be a snare,

 but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.

Proverbs 29:25

Be the reason you were created,

Alice