Christian Advice

Advice 16 : Don't fear man/ dont People Please

"For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ."

— Galatians 1:10

"You will be hated by everyone because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved."
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭10:22‬ ‭

"Don't fear those who kill the body but are not able to kill the soul; rather, fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭10:28‬ ‭

Something I've struggled with a lot in the past is people pleasing. The Bible tells us that the world will hate us for following Jesus. This is every people pleasers worst night mare. It is something that scared me a lot when I stopped being lukewarm about a year ago. I was worried that people will judge/hate me more, that I wouldn't be accepted, that my friends wouldn't want to be around me. So many things were going through my head. But we cannot be man pleasers. whenever I am dealing with something, I always like to find out the root cause of the issue. Why is it that my entire life I've felt the need to be liked and to not disappoint? It is because I felt like I wasn't enough. I felt empty. I felt like if I didn't say/do what people wanted, they would hate me and do things that will prove to my already broken self that I am hated so I should hate myself. I thought if people liked me, then I should like me. And if they didn't then I should be mad at myself. My self worth was based on man, not God, and that was the problem. Who do you base your worth/ identity on? I feel like there's this hole in every mans heart that can only be filled by God, and when it's not, we try to seek other ways to fill this void in our hearts. It manifests in different ways like excessive need to be liked/respected, love of money/fame, drugs, drinking, always wanting to be in relationships/love (even with the wrong people), so many other things. All these will never fulfill you. If you are a people pleaser or deal with any of the things on that list, I encourage you to pray and ask God where this struggle comes from. Ask God to remove anything in you that is not of him. Pray that he will fill your heart with his love so that you won't feel the need to seek love from worldly things that will pass away. Choose to please God and not man. We are in times where speaking your opinion could be dangerous if you do not agree with the mob. As Christians, we need to stay true to the word of God. I still find it difficult to tell people about the taboo bible topics, but I pray he gives me and you more courage. God will help us. I am here to talk if you need so feel free to Dm me.

More Verses:

"Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly."
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—Matthew‬ ‭6:1-4

But just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts.

— 1 Thessalonians 2:4

For we never came with words of flattery, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed—God is witness. Nor did we seek glory from people, whether from you or from others, though we could have made demands as apostles of Christ.
— 1 Thessalonians 2:5-6