The Antidote to People-pleasing

In review of Luke 9:26 it says, “Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.”

Bottom Line:

If you are ashamed of Christ and his message, then the Son of Man will be ashamed of you when he returns.

What this means to me:

I should never be ashamed or afraid to speak or admit Christ and his message. If I do, then he will likewise be ashamed of me when he returns. It is important to keep in mind that one day, I will give an account of my life before God. If I can keep this in mind and have this kind of long-term thinking, it will ultimately change what I say, what I do, and who I try to impress. It is the antidote to people-pleasing.

When I take that long look ahead and realize that I’m going to give an account for every word I say today, I’ll should be able to ask of myself, “Do I want God disapproving of what I just said or did, or do I want this person disapproving of what I just said or did?”

Naturally my human nature wants me to be liked. Unfortunately to do so, this same human nature will direct me to compromise, divert, punt, and leave out the truth. I can’t just say, “I just leave that up to God” or “Everybody has to make up their own mind.” That’s only a  a politically correct, people-pleasing cop-out. If I do this, I’m not standing for the truth.

Instead of saying something that would be politically correct and not offend, I remember these truths. In that pressure moment, I can do three things.

First, I remember what Jesus Christ did for me on the cross. He didn’t deny me. He didn’t back down for me. He died for my sins. I owe him my eternal life. He created me. He saved me. He forgave me. He’s taking me to Heaven with him. I’m not going to deny him.

Second, I remember that one day I’m going to give an account to God. And at that point God’s going to say, “What did you say in that conversation at work? What did you say to your friend?” I need to remind myself that my integrity is more important than popularity.

Finally, I tell the truth and let the chips fall.

Today’s verse in Luke 9:26 says, “Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels” (NIV).

Going forward, I want to keep this in mind, “Do I want God disapproving of what I just said or did, or do I want this person disapproving of what I just said or did?” I want to make God my banner that I’m proud to march under. I need to look to honor God with what I say and do at all times.