Do you feel the pressure to make everyone proud? Are you tired of trying to meet expectations that don’t even feel like your own? You’re not alone. And guess what? God sees you.
Just making it through daily life is hard enough—but trying to earn approval from people on top of that? That’s a whole other weight. The truth is, even the people we love can disappoint us, and we can disappoint them too. That’s why our focus has to shift. The only One we’re called to please is our Heavenly Father.
Galatians 1:10 (NLT) hits hard when it says, “Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant.” Think about how much of your life gets twisted trying to make everyone else happy—bending, pretending, sacrificing your peace just to fit in. That’s a kind of bondage. It’s a trap, and Jesus already broke those chains for us. Like it says in 1 Corinthians 7:23 (NLT), “God paid a high price for you, so don’t be enslaved by the world.”
But still, many of us carry those heavy chains of people-pleasing, afraid to lose their approval. God is calling us to freedom—the freedom to live for Him alone. He loves us completely and fully this very moment, just the way that we are. When we stop chasing what everyone thinks, we start stepping into the beautiful life God made us for.
Your life was never meant to be lived in someone else’s shadow. God created you with purpose, on purpose. You’re not here to be a copy of someone else or to fit into a mold that was never made for you. When you constantly measure yourself by other people’s expectations, you’ll always come up short—and that’s not how God wants you to live. He’s not asking you to be perfect for people; He’s inviting you to walk closely with Him, to be shaped by His truth, and to rest in His love. That need to be “enough” in someone else’s eyes? That’s fear whispering lies. And fear is not from God. It doesn’t come from love—it comes to steal your peace.
But here’s the truth: through Jesus Christ, God has already stamped you with approval. You are accepted. You are loved. You are enough—not because you’ve earned it, but because He said so. That’s where your confidence should live. Not in trying to keep up, but in knowing who you belong to and living for Him.
Matthew 6:1 (NLT) says, “Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven.” God’s approval is the only one that counts—and His reward is eternal. Let go of the need to be validated by people. I’ve been there too, and it robbed me of fully receiving how much God values me. So let that go. Don’t chase a “good job” from people and live for God. He offers you a “Well done, My good and faithful servant”, and that’s the only one that matters. ■
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
“Living to Please God”, written by KLizzie, edited by Reverend Fran Mack, for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2025. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! SMS is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging Christian Women through the Word of God.