Read: Galatians 1:10
The vast majority of us care a lot more about what people think of us than we'd like to admit.
Have you ever refused to try to do something because you were worried someone would see you fail?
Have you ever found yourself spending more money than you should on something, whether that was an outfit, a car, or the newest piece of tech, just to impress people?
Or maybe you check and recheck your social media every couple of minutes just cause you want to see who else liked your latest post.
The list goes on and on. Far too often we worry about, obsess over, and make decisions around what others are thinking of us.
It feels good when people give us praise, but when you try to run the rat race of pleasing everyone, you eventually realize it's not just exhausting...it's impossible.
You will never please everyone.
That's why Proverbs 29:25 describes the fear of man (people pleasing) like a trap or a snare...easy to fall into, hard to get out of, and you find yourself trapped.
But all throughout Scripture, including Galatians 1:10, we see followers of Jesus refusing to fall into the people-pleasing trap, and instead choosing to live with the singular focus of living to please the One whose opinion truly matters most.
Because while we will never please everyone, we can choose to live to please One. And that is where true joy, freedom, and purpose are found.
Living to please the crowd is a trap, but you don't have to stay there. You can break free and live your life for an Audience of One. And over the next six days we are going to go over some tactics to help you do that - to shift your mind, break free from the snare of people-pleasing, and find the incredible freedom Jesus offers in a life lived fully for his pleasure.