When we look to please others we create a trap for ourselves. Dr. Charles Stanley shares why God’s love and approval are so much more satisfying. In Touch Ministries, 2013. For more messages from Charles Stanley, including this week’s broadcast, go to www.intouch.org/watch
if you’re a believer in Jesus Christ
then your life is no longer your own
your debt has been paid in full of the
cross and your life is a slave the sin
has ended Christ has set you free and
your new life represents a radical
departure from the ways of this world
and it can create tension between what
some people expect from you and what you
know God expects this conflict can be
filled from our culture your job your
friends and family and even from other
believers our concern about what others
may think and compromised our
effectiveness how can we handle these
expectations today we have an email from
someone who is tempted to be a people
pleaser and it reads how can I stop
seeking the approval of others I want my
life to be pleasing to God but I’m so
afraid of disappointing people I know I
care more about making others happy then
I probably should let me say first of
all it’s a trap when that is your
attitude you have trapped yourself so I
would ask you simply this question what
kind of persons are you trying to seek
approval from people continually change
their mind somebody may like you today
won’t like you tomorrow and how are you
seeking approval is it by the way you
dress
is it your conversations is it where you
go and what you listen to what you
believe what you drink what you watch
compromising your biblical convictions
usually happens when a person wants to
please others rather than God you can’t
make others happy happiness is something
on the inside of them you can’t make
them happy rather you disappoint God or
them that’s a choice you not make our
goal is to be obedient to God and to
please and honor him what other people
think that’s up to them and because of
who you are you are not under any
obligation to please everybody around
you think about the biblical characters
for example that God used in the Bible
they were men and we
usually who did not please those around
them it costs them but they stand out as
God’s choice examples for all of us I
think about a personal illustration in
my own life when I was planning to meet
my friends
one evening there were seven of us who
were all friends of guys and I got
myself ready to go and I had to walk
pretty good ways to meet them when I
arrived I said well what are we doing
this evening they said we all go into
the pool hall and shoot pool I thought
oh that’s not who I am because this pool
hall there’s lots of drinking and
carousing going on I was a little bit
surprised that they would do that I said
well I don’t think I can do that
I’ll come on standing you that’s not
going to hurt you we’re not going to
drink you know we’re all good Christians
I said I can’t do it and I’m not going
to do it and I will see you all now
walked out I can remember exactly where
I was on North Main Street right in
front of a house of a man whose papers I
delivered every day because I knew
everybody’s name and that whole street
because I had to collect from him from
everyone from everybody every week so I
was walking in front of his house when
God spoke to my heart I was sixteen
years of age God said to me you will
never regret this decision I could not
go along with them I thought a lot of
all of them and you see your age but in
high school or college think about this
when you compromise your convictions as
a student in high school remember this
that when graduation comes more than
likely you’ll never see those folks
again or even in college especially
everybody goes their separate way that
you’ve tried to please them all during
these years to get their approval they
don’t care they won’t even remember it
it can wreck your life of the future it
can damage your life of the future the
scripture says above all guard your
affections for the influence everything
else in your life seeking others
approval is going to bring about
compromising
your convictions you’re going to be
unhappy and out of God’s will and it’s
interesting in Psalm 25 verse 4 and 5
listen to what the scripture says make
me know your ways o Lord teach me your
paths lead me in your truth and teach me
for you the God of my salvation for you
I wait all the day you need to get in
the Word of God and begin to see what
God thinks about you that’s the
important thing and what will happen
you’ll realize his love for you his
devotion to you his care for you his
undergirding of you overshadowing you
love and affection in your life is
misdirected you’re more concerned about
these people and getting their love and
their approval when it ought to be the
approval of Almighty God
there is no scripture seeking the
approval of others but rather the Bible
says come up from among them and be ye
separate says the Lord and so if you’ll
think about it the source of this
problem in your life is personal
insecurity and that insecurity is based
on a number of things but one of which
is you don’t understand God’s attitude
toward you his relationship with you is
the most important thing in your life he
loves you he died for you he cares for
you he supplies your needs
he undergirds you he overshadows you God
is your friend people will continually
change he never does you can’t make them
happy God loves you just the way you are
you don’t need the approval of others
people have little respect for people
pleases because they see you is always
trying to do something to get their
approval they don’t like that they don’t
they don’t they don’t they don’t have
any respect for someone who does that
remember who you are
a child of God you have his approval a
sufficient approval for all of your life
just trust him well we are certainly
thankful you’ve joined us today friend
touch and as we close remember this
trusting God means looking beyond what
you can see to what God says
you