The verse above is something I have dealt with before. What exactly does this verse say I'm glad you asked. "Obviously I'm not trying to win the approval of people but of God. If pleasing people were my goal I would not be Christ's servant. The apostle Paul stirred up people to examine what people were teaching his churches and leading them astray. He was right on the money. I however have fallen into the trap this verse talks about. I have found myself trying to please others. Petra did a song a few years back called Chameleon that addresses this. "You blend with your surroundings compromising dedication." When you decide to compromise what you believe you start becoming no better than a wishy washy politician. In the past I was dating a woman who wanted to make lots of changes to who I was as a person and I did a lot of things I knew God had no desire for me to do. I went along and started becoming the person she wanted. Not all change is bad don't get me wrong. I however was changing so much my friends and family were warning me. The day my friend Richard told me "you're not even acting like the friend I used to know." was a wake up call. I had become such a people pleaser that I stopped being worried about what God wanted of me. I was to the point I no longer even read the bible. If you ever hit that point in your life hit the brakes!!! God should always be first! The Pharisees constantly tried to persecute Jesus because he didn't fit into their mold and please people with his teachings. As followers of Christ we can't be people pleasers because that is not who we are called to please. See 2 Corinthians 6:17-18 we are called to be set apart. The Pharisees commanded Peter and John to stop preaching the resurrection of Christ. What was their response "We should obey God rather than men." I don't know about you but pleasing God to me is always better than pleasing people. Don't worry so much about what other people think worry instead bout reflecting God. If you want your "Go home line" as they say in the wrestling business here it is. Hebrews 12:1-2 "Therefore." Hold on stop! When you read the word "Therefore" your question should always be "what is the Therefore there for?". If you finish the verse it will tell you. "Therefore since we are surrounded by such a large cloud of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and protects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding it's shame; now to he is seated, in the place of honor beside God's throne." If you want to be a God pleaser fix your eyes on him.
This is what you don't want to be Chameleon by Petra http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8ezd6cYa3M
This instead is what you want to be a God Pleaser by Petra http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwnOkWxf08Y
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