People-Pleaser

I heard about an online career test offered by a Christian ministry. The directions were simple--answer the questions and receive a list of possible careers suited to my personality. Taking the test was easy enough, but I was not prepared for the answer I received.

Our system cannot adequately complete your career profile.

What!? It took me 20 minutes to go through the test and now there's a glitch in the system?

Apparently, I was the glitch.

The system could not compute my answers because they were too generalized. Their suggestion--I get to know myself better because the answers reflected someone who worked hard to please others.

Shock. Aggravation. Admittance.

I knew a simple computer program had nailed me. In it's sterile computer language it had gone straight to the heart of the matter. I was a people-pleaser.

Being a people-pleaser is hard work. Being everything to everyone and doing it all to perfection was exhausting. While I admitted the program was correct I was helpless to do anything about it. Ask God? No way--I was working too hard to show Him how good and perfect I was. If He knew I was a people-pleaser He might be upset.

At that point in my life I could not tell you my favorite color, food, or Bible verse. I would answer these questions with what I knew to be your favorites. How had I allowed my life to come to this point?

I forgot who I was. Or, maybe I had never known.

For someone who had always know what she wanted out of life to be at a stage where I did not even know myself was devasting. It was the realization that I had no clue as to the person God created me to be that hurt the most.

It was a heavy burden I handed over to God that day. So heavy I could not lift it alone. The road to freedom was long but worth every step.

Where are you at today?
Do you spend your time trying to please others instead of the one who created you?

You have been created with specific gifts and talents that only you can do within the Body of Christ. The enemy would have us to believe we are insignificant and unimportant. In our society we are expected to be women who please everyone and do everything. That is not God's plan--that is the plan of the enemy. God has a specific plan for our lives and when we take our eyes off of Him and become distracted with people-pleasing we miss His will and often His divine opportunities.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)