By: Emmanuella 

WHO TO PLEASE?
PEOPLE OR GOD?

Beauty.

They say it's in the eye if the beholder. Growing up, I've seen lots of girls change who they are just to fit in. The mantra stuck in their heads might be, "Fake it 'til you make it.”

A lot of us witness our fellow girls change their personality, attitude, skin, face, and hair so that they fit into societal standards. At times I look at things from their perspective and realize that a majority of the time, they feel helpless; that they have no choice but to do it. At times they are pressured into it. When such a situation comes, we are faced with two choices: Who are we to please? People or God?

PEOPLE PLEASING

A lot of girls want to get people's approval on something. At first glance, it may feel totally natural and okay. But what happens when pleasing someone is at the expense of your well-being? 

Imagine such a scenario: It's the first day at a new school, and Abbie wants to make new friends.

Abbie spots another girl (let's call her Sasha) standing with a group of her friends, so she decides to go over to say hi.

Before she approaches, Sasha whispers to her friends,"Look at Abbie! She wears such baggy clothes; doesn't she know the meaning of fashion? I'd never be friends with her.” 

Sadly, Abbie overhears the conversation, goes home and decides to change her entire wardrobe.

The next day of school, Abbie decided to go over to Sasha's group again.

Sasha again whispers to her friends: "Look at Abbie, that skirt is way too short, doesn't she have any decency? I would never be friends with such an immodest girl.”

In such a case, what should Abbie do?

I know many of you would say, "Forget about it! Sasha is a horrible friend, Abbie needs friends who will love her for her!"

But that's easier said than done, because Abbie is a people pleaser. Abbie might spend the rest of the school year trying her very best, constantly changing her wardrobe, in attempts to please Sasha. 

Living with the mindset of a people-pleaser is a high price to pay. 

It might cost us our self esteem, our confidence, and our personality. In short, always wanting to please others might cost us our very selves! 

It's a hard truth to swallow, but it rings forever true:
It is IMPOSSIBLE to please everyone. End of story.

It's what I call a lose-win situation. They win but you lose.

What if there was Someone that treasured and adored us for who we are? Someone who would accept us, just the way we are? 

GOD PLEASING

There is!

And that Person I'm talking about is God.

He is my favorite Person to please!

God never judges us based on our appearance; He looks at our hearts. He knows us, chose us, and believes in us. God doesn't need us to have certain qualifications before we can talk to Him. His phone is always available to call, 24/7.

Now let's imagine a scenario where Abbie's heart focus has changed, and now instead of being a people pleaser, her main priority in life is to please God. 

Abbie (to herself at home in front of her mirror):
"I know the girls at school don't like how I dress, but I like having my own unique style. Why won't any of them be friends with me?”

God: “I am your friend. And you look perfect.”

Abbie: “Really, you think so?”

God: “I know so; after all, I am the One who created you!”

Abbie: “If you say so, I know Your word is truth.”

God: “Just be yourself, and you’ll be fine!" 

Abbie: "Thank You for listening to me and encouraging me.”

God: *smiles*

Sometimes, we forget the radical extent to which God loves us!

The Bible tell us in John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son.”

The Bible also tells us in 1 John 4:19 that God loved us even before we ever loved Him. Wow! What love, what acceptance.

In the book of Genesis, when God was done creating man and woman, He looked at His work and saw it was GOOD.

That means when God created you and I, He saw that we were good, beautiful, and perfect in His eyes.

God in His goodness already knows everything about us; from the day we entered this world up 'til the day we leave it. He didn't ask us to change anything about our physical appearance, so why do we feel like we have to change ourselves to please people?

We are so precious in God's sight and to Him, we're so, SO priceless. Pleasing God brings joy, happiness, eternal life, satisfaction and so much more.

WHO WINS?

Dear sisters of mine, it's safe to say that the best Person to please would be God, because no matter the situation we find ourselves in, we can always count on the fact that He would continue to love us the same.

Let’s stop trying so hard to please people. 

Be you, the you God made you to be, and always remember that your worth in Christ is priceless.

Remember that there's only one of you in this world, and that there can never be another.

Treat everyone you meet with kindness and treat every life as important, because every life is.

The second commandment God gave, of the two greatest commandments, is "Love your neighbor as yourself." If you cannot love your neighbor, how then will you love yourself? 

Finally, remember you're different and that's a GOOD thing, because that's rare, and being rare is unique, and we all know that anything unique is special.

God loves you. You're loved today, tomorrow and always.

Hi, everyone! I'm Emmanuella, or Ella for short. I'm a 17-year-old girl with big dreams. I love to write, sing, bake and spend time with my family. I'm a princess because my Maker and Father is a King. I believe and know that every girl is unique, beautiful and special in her own way. I have a blog where I share my thoughts and feelings. Always remember to trust in the Lord and He'll definitely make all your paths straight.

Have you ever struggled as a
people-pleaser?
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