Read: Ephesians 2:10
We said yesterday that people-pleasing, living for the approval of others, is a trap, and that it’s not just exhausting...it’s impossible. You will never please everyone, and if you’re not careful you could waste your life trying.
But there’s another option. We can choose to live for an Audience of One, and over the next several days we will discuss 6 strategies to help us break free from the snare of caring so much what other people think of us.
If we really want to kill people pleasing at the root, it’s important to understand WHY it’s such an easy trap to fall into. Mainly, it’s because we believe the lie that our value depends on what others think about us.
We feel good about ourselves when we are liked, admired, and respected. And if anybody doesn’t like us, it can have the opposite effect, where we begin to wonder if we measure up. We are trying to find our value and worth in the affirmation of others.
Well, here’s some really good news if you find yourself in that boat: your identity and value aren’t up for grabs. God has already spoken on that issue.
In Ephesians 2:10, we are told that God sees us as his masterpieces!
In Romans 8:38-39, the Apostle Paul tells us nothing can separate us from God’s love!
In Zephaniah 3:17, it says that God delights in you!
It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks of you: your identity isn’t up for grabs. The God of the Universe already says that he made you to be more valuable than you could ever imagine, and nothing could ever change that.
So today, you are free to stop living for the approval of others, and instead live from the approval of God.