“We serve God whether people honor us or despise us, whether they slander us or praise us. We are honest, but they call us imposters.”                                                        

2 Corinthians 6:8

Are you a people pleaser? I know I am! It’s hard when others don’t approve of me or what I’m doing. I just want to be liked…by everyone. Is that too much to ask?!

God knows that we are human and we struggle with wanting to earn approval from those around us. He wants us to find our acceptance in Him and not what people think of us so that we can find true contentment.

In 2 Corinthians 6, Paul talks about the hardships he and the other apostles have gone through to show that they love God and firmly believe in the good news of Christ. They were willing to risk their reputation and their lives to obey God and tell others about His faithfulness.

Have you ever believed in something so much that you were willing to tell random people on the street about it? The apostles didn’t seem to care if people thought they were crazy; they were ALL IN. They were on a mission and nothing could stop them.

In Matthew 6:24 Jesus says, “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other.” Although Jesus was referring to the love of money, we can also use this teaching to better understand how God wants us to care more about what He thinks of us than what people think of us. When we search for validation from people instead of from God, we are finding our identity in people’s opinions instead of in our Creator.

“People are often unreasonable and self-centered; forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives; be kind anyway.

If you are honest, people may cheat you; be honest anyway.

If you find happiness, people may be jealous; be happy anyway.

The good you do today may be forgotten; do good anyway.

Give the world your best and it may never be enough; give your best anyway.

For you see, in the end it is between you and God; it was never between you and them anyway.”

~Mother Teresa

This week when we hear God calling us to do something out of the ordinary, remember that even if people don’t understand or agree with us, we don’t have to question ourselves and give up. God’s opinion of us is what truly matters. He already loves us and is very pleased with our efforts to glorify Him. What is one way you can listen to God’s voice this week instead of listening to the opinions of those around you?