People, please!

Last week a friend and I, both self-admitted people pleasers, came to this realization:  often our people pleasing is based on either fear or guilt; fear of hurting or disappointing the person, fear of how they may respond, guilt for not meeting their need or for not being able to help them.  Here's the thing about fear and guilt though; neither of these emotions is based in the present.  Guilt is basing one's present feelings on the past, wishing we could go back and miraculously change an event that occurred or the way in which we behaved.  Fear, on the other hand, is based on the future, guessing what might happen if we do xyz, trying to prevent unfavorable consequences.  And while our emotions may be past or future oriented, we're only able to act in the present.  We may wish to undo the past or control the future, but we're helpless to do either.  All that we can do is act in a God-honoring way in the present, in the here and now.

Sunday at church, God hit me with another tidbit on people-pleasing: people pleasing isn't godly; it isn't being a servant.  People pleasing comes from fear of man, which will prove to be a snare while those in trust in God are kept safe (Proverbs 29:25).

So people (and I'm really talking to myself here), please!  Stop people-pleasing!  God calls us to be servants; service comes in acts of love; it's not motivated by fear or guilt.

LORD, teach me to serve.  Teach me to live for You and not for people.  Teach me to love like You do; may I be motivated by Your love alone.