July 15, 2008
When we are set free from the bondage of pleasing others, when we are free from currying others approval-then no one will be able to make us miserable or dissatisfied. And then, if we know we have pleased God, contentment will be our consolation. ~Kay Arthur-
Guilty as charged! Years ago I was convicted and tried in my own heart of being a people pleaser. I didn’t know I was doing anything wrong. After all as Christians we are suppose to be thinking of others not ourselves and that is what I thought I was doing. As I attempted to carry out what I felt was a requirement attached to my faith I convinced myself that through pleasing others I was pleasing God. Innocently I was living a lie Satan had put in my heart. What was required was pleasing God first and getting my priorities straight in my life. How I treated others would stem from that number one priority.
If you stop and think about it there’s a lot of long journeys taken and unnecessary roads traveled simply because we got started off on the wrong priority set before us. I know I added to my journey in life simply because I was in the business of trying to be a “Martha Luther” trying to reform the world or those around me through what I thought was my “Christian duty” that turned out being the task of a “people pleaser.” A task that could have had a better outcome than the bondage I was feeling if I had gone at it the right way.
Instead of being a super-suffering, depressed, played out, discouraged pleaser we need to work hard at being a positive pleaser. One who nicely navigates the "balance beam of life." Liking who we are as we play out in the right manner the roles of nurturer and caregiver to others. Finding our balance between pleasing people and having people treat us with respect in a pleasing behavior in return. By doing this we can be assertive without being abrasive, confident without being cocky, and self-nuturing without being selfish. Working hard at putting our priorities straight with priority #1 being pleasing God himself.
Listed below are the things that please God. Sit down with your Bible and God and find out what it is that pleases Him the most and put what you learn into action.
The Things that Please the Lord
Psalms 19:14 ___________________________________
Psalm 69:30,31 __________________________________
Psalm 104:34 ___________________________________
Proverbs 15:8 ___________________________________
Proverbs 15:26 __________________________________
Proverbs 16:7 ___________________________________
John 8:29; 1 John 3:21,22 ___________________________
Romans 8:8 ____________________________________
Romans 12:1; 1 Timothy 2:1-3 ________________________
Romans 14:17,18 _________________________________
1 Cor 7:32______________________________________
2 Cor 5:9_______________________________________
Galatians 6:8 ____________________________________
Ephesians 5:8-10 _________________________________
Philippians 4:18 __________________________________
Colossians 1:10 __________________________________
1 Thessalonians 4:1 _______________________________
1 Timothy 5:4 __________________________________
Hebrews 11:6 ___________________________________
Hebrews 13:16 __________________________________
Once you see the joy in pleasing God it changes from being a “priority” to something that you’ll want to do and do it right. Praise the Lord. What a blessing it is serve the Lord in this way, someone who doesn’t take advantage of our desire to please. Who won’t use it to control us but to nurture us back in our own spiritual needs within, forgiving us when we fall short instead of kicking us while we are down. A task that can be accomplished instead of one that seems to go on forever with no end in sight that is full of joy for the one being pleased, God, and us the pleaser for all eternity. God said it Himself in Hebrews 13:20,21 Through the blood of Jesus Christ, God will equip us with everything good for doing His will. And will work in us what is pleasing to Him through Jesus Christ.” We’re not alone, we come equipped!
Our host this week is Denise over at ShortyBear’s , drop in to read and share with others on today’s quote.
When we are set free from the bondage of pleasing others, when we are free from currying others approval-then no one will be able to make us miserable or dissatisfied. And then, if we know we have pleased God, contentment will be our consolation. ~Kay Arthur-
Guilty as charged! Years ago I was convicted and tried in my own heart of being a people pleaser. I didn’t know I was doing anything wrong. After all as Christians we are suppose to be thinking of others not ourselves and that is what I thought I was doing. As I attempted to carry out what I felt was a requirement attached to my faith I convinced myself that through pleasing others I was pleasing God. Innocently I was living a lie Satan had put in my heart. What was required was pleasing God first and getting my priorities straight in my life. How I treated others would stem from that number one priority.
If you stop and think about it there’s a lot of long journeys taken and unnecessary roads traveled simply because we got started off on the wrong priority set before us. I know I added to my journey in life simply because I was in the business of trying to be a “Martha Luther” trying to reform the world or those around me through what I thought was my “Christian duty” that turned out being the task of a “people pleaser.” A task that could have had a better outcome than the bondage I was feeling if I had gone at it the right way.
Instead of being a super-suffering, depressed, played out, discouraged pleaser we need to work hard at being a positive pleaser. One who nicely navigates the "balance beam of life." Liking who we are as we play out in the right manner the roles of nurturer and caregiver to others. Finding our balance between pleasing people and having people treat us with respect in a pleasing behavior in return. By doing this we can be assertive without being abrasive, confident without being cocky, and self-nuturing without being selfish. Working hard at putting our priorities straight with priority #1 being pleasing God himself.
Listed below are the things that please God. Sit down with your Bible and God and find out what it is that pleases Him the most and put what you learn into action.
The Things that Please the Lord
Psalms 19:14 ___________________________________
Psalm 69:30,31 __________________________________
Psalm 104:34 ___________________________________
Proverbs 15:8 ___________________________________
Proverbs 15:26 __________________________________
Proverbs 16:7 ___________________________________
John 8:29; 1 John 3:21,22 ___________________________
Romans 8:8 ____________________________________
Romans 12:1; 1 Timothy 2:1-3 ________________________
Romans 14:17,18 _________________________________
1 Cor 7:32______________________________________
2 Cor 5:9_______________________________________
Galatians 6:8 ____________________________________
Ephesians 5:8-10 _________________________________
Philippians 4:18 __________________________________
Colossians 1:10 __________________________________
1 Thessalonians 4:1 _______________________________
1 Timothy 5:4 __________________________________
Hebrews 11:6 ___________________________________
Hebrews 13:16 __________________________________
Once you see the joy in pleasing God it changes from being a “priority” to something that you’ll want to do and do it right. Praise the Lord. What a blessing it is serve the Lord in this way, someone who doesn’t take advantage of our desire to please. Who won’t use it to control us but to nurture us back in our own spiritual needs within, forgiving us when we fall short instead of kicking us while we are down. A task that can be accomplished instead of one that seems to go on forever with no end in sight that is full of joy for the one being pleased, God, and us the pleaser for all eternity. God said it Himself in Hebrews 13:20,21 Through the blood of Jesus Christ, God will equip us with everything good for doing His will. And will work in us what is pleasing to Him through Jesus Christ.” We’re not alone, we come equipped!
Our host this week is Denise over at ShortyBear’s , drop in to read and share with others on today’s quote.
6 comments:
Such a lovely post, thank you dear.
Great encouragement and inspiration. Loved the Scriptures. Happy IOW Tuesday!
Oh wow - you've made this into a full fledged Bible study :) Great idea!
Wow, assignments?! You make the rest of us look bad, Karen.
I appreciate the work you put in to this post. Well done.
"We’re not alone, we come equipped!"
Hallelujah! and Amen!
Bless you for sharing this week.
Don't pat me on the back too much girls I have a confession. I wrote on next weeks quote and I was scrambling to get a quick thing ready for today's. That's when I pulled up the scriptures I used once in a Bible Study to help bail me out of my "senior moment." Glad it turned out okay. See ya next week and thanks for stopping in. Karen
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