You Don’t Need To Please Everyone

In summary of Proverbs 29:25 it says, "Fearing peoples opinion of you is a dangerous trap, it disables you.  Trusting in the Lord provides you with a layer of protection."

Bottom Line:
It is dangerous to be concerned or to fear about what others think of us.  To do so disables you.  However, putting your trust in the Lord will provide you with a layer of protection.

What this means to me:
God wants me to trust him.  I’m to look to him for approval.  Doing so will provide protection. I have to admit, that  I do find this to be difficult as I really like receiving approval from others and knowing that they think highly of me.  What I need to realize is that if I worry about what others think, then in essence I’m letting them control me.  It's really just a waste of time/energy trying to figure out what other people would want me to be and then trying to be it (something that deep down inside really isn’t me.)  Pursuing what others think will likely lead me to cave in to their criticism or worldly ways.  This can lead me down a path where I may not be always doing the right thing.  Doing so would keep me from missing out on God’s best for me.  It would be more productive for me to stop and think about what God would want me to do (God knows what’s best for me.)  I just need to remind myself that I can’t please everyone (even God doesn’t please everyone) and that it’s not really necessary for me to please them.  My happiness doesn’t come from pleasing them but more from God.  Moving forward I need to keep in mind what I have been learning; nothing I do will make God love me more or less.  He loves me completely just as I am.  I just need to be the person he wants me to be and to do what he has in mind for me.  The only way to find that out what he wants for me is to spend time daily in prayer and in his Word.  I will strive to do this each weekday and to continue to journal what He has taught me.