“It is dangerous to
be concerned with what others think of you.” (Proverbs 29:25a GNT)
We waste a lot of time and energy
trying to figure out what other people want us to be and then trying to become
like that, rather than just being what God made us to be.
That’s dangerous, because when you’re worried about what other people think
all the time, you cave in to criticism. You don’t always do the right thing.
You do what everybody wants you to do. And you probably miss God’s best for
your life because you can’t stop and think about what God wants you to do.
Fact #1: You cannot please everybody. Even God can’t please everybody. One person
prays for it to rain; another prays for it to be sunny. Who is God going to
answer? Only a fool would try to do what even God can't do.
Fact #2: It’s not necessary to please everybody. There is a myth that says you must
be loved and approved by everybody in order to be happy. That’s just not true.
You don’t have to please everybody in order to be happy in life.
Fact #3: Rejection will not ruin your life. It hurts, sure. It’s not fun. It’s
uncomfortable. But rejection will not ruin your life unless you let it.
Quit trying to please everybody.
Remember that nobody can make you feel inferior unless you give him or her
permission to. “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31 NIV) If
God likes you, who cares that everybody doesn't approve of everything you do?
Nothing you ever do will make God
love you less. Nothing you ever do will make God love you more. He loves you
completely right now, just the way you are.
This devotional © 2012 by Rick Warren. All
rights reserved. Used by permission.
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