People Pleaser - November 13, 2019

I am a people-pleaser.

Through and through, I desire to please others around me.

It makes me CRAZY when I think that someone might be annoyed or upset with me.

I do EVERYTHING that I can to make sure that everyone likes me.

I try so hard.

This, throughout my entire life, has been my struggle. I’ve carried it through childhood, high school, college, and into my marriage. Constantly worrying about how I was being perceived was my indulgent addiction.

We see this every day, don’t we? Whether it be on social media, at our workplaces, or in our families, I dare to say that we all might struggle with a deep desire to please humans. We want approval from our parents. We want acceptance from our peers. We crave likes, compliments, and being told that we are ‘good’.

We try so hard.

But, child, what if I told you that you don’t have to try anymore? What if this endless rat-race came to a screeching halt? What if you were okay?

What if you were enough?

I think that the Lord wants you to know that you ARE.

A few months ago, the Lord spoke sweetly to my heart through a verse in Isaiah. The Lord says in Chapter 41 verse 9

“I brought you from the ends of the earth and called you from its farthest corners. I said to you: You are my servant; I have chosen you; I haven’t rejected you.”

Wow.

He has chosen you.

He has not rejected you.

I don’t know who you are or what your story is like. I don’t know the pain you’ve walked through, and I don’t know who has hurt your heart. Maybe you’re wrestling with fear of what your next step in life will look like after college. Maybe you’ve been abandoned. Maybe you feel trapped in addiction and performance. Maybe you feel unqualified and unprepared. Whatever the case may be, the Lord has chosen you. He has not rejected you.

When we walk in this truth, our hearts find peace.

We are able to be the light that God has created us to be to the world around us. We are able to walk into a room with the knowledge that even if the world rejects us, we are chosen by the God of the universe.

When humans insult us, throw us out, and reject us, we can stand firm in the knowledge that we are chosen by God. Throughout the book of Isaiah, the Lord goes on to state with unmistakable confidence:

“I, the Lord, have called you for a righteous purpose, and I will hold you by your hand. I will watch over you and I will appoint you to be a covenant for the people and a light to the nations.” Isaiah 42:6

If this is the truth, then we can throw off the opinions and rejections of others and we can trust that the Lord is holding us no matter what.

We can read Matthew 5 in the confidence that even if someone does reject us, we can quite literally brush it off and walk in the confidence of the Father. We can look at the people surrounding us, knowing with divine assurance we are loved and chosen. Even if we are struck down, unsure of our future, or exhausted, we can trust God to handle it.

Your heart can finally rest, your efforts can cease, and your mind can be still.

Because you, dear one, are chosen.