Who Are You Pleasing?

In my younger years and especially when I began ministry with my husband, I was in the people pleasing business or at least that's what I thought you were supposed to do- please everyone. Being a wife, mom, teacher, and ministry wife--I was crazy busy all the time. All these people in my circle, in my life, needed me and I needed to make sure they were happy and well...liked by everyone. I tried my hardest to do everything I thought they wanted me to do and be in order to please the people in our ministry. I was trying to live up to an image that I had created and I failed miserably.

It wasn't until I matured more and gained some experience (and Godly wisdom), that I stepped back a minute to look at my own life, where I was going, what I wanted to do, who I was doing it with, and who I was trying to please. After many years of spinning my wheels and running ragged to try and prove myself to the world and make them happy, I was completely exhausted and my tank was empty. I was like a dead car on the side of the road that puttered along before running out of gas. This went on for years. I would go until I couldn't go any further. My body was physically weak, my mind was weak, and my internal fulfillment lagged until there was none. I got frustrated, tired, and began to lose my self-worth and my own happiness.

Have you ever felt like this before? Have you given of yourself so much that you neglect filling your own cup? I think we all have at some point in our lives. Its human nature to want to please, do the best for others, and in return, we hope that our family and friends like us and are happy with us.

I've learned over the course of the years that you cannot make everyone happy. DUH....right? I've tried and it's flat out exhausting. I'm reminded of the old saying..."don't always count on getting back what you put in." Some relationships can be like this. Your spout pours consistently into their lives, but then theirs...not so much. Their spout is all dried up. But here's the thing...we should not rely on other people to make us happy; God is the giver of happiness and He should fill our cup. God's spout of overflowing joy, hope, happiness, and love never ends. His spout never dries up.

In Romans 15:32, we are reminded of this: "Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."

God should be the one we are aiming to please. It is rewarding to please God. People and the things of this world will leave us lacking. Yes, we want our family and friends to be happy, but we cannot fill a role that only God can. Deep down inside, God is the ultimate filler of happiness. He should be our cup filler and joy maker. We must not look to please man, but our highest Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ. He is the one I want to please and I want Him to be pleased with me.

Who are you trying to please? Please the One who matters most. Dig into the Word of God, spend time in prayer listening to Him, seek Him with all your heart, and allow Him to fill you like no other person can. In the end, our eternity will be spent with Him.

Let pleasing God become bigger than pleasing people. 

Your friend,

Stacy