God Pleasers or People Pleasers

"Thus says the Lord: Cursed [with great evil] is the strong man who trusts in and relies on frail man, making weak [human] flesh his arm, and whose mind and heart turn aside from the Lord." Today is "fess up" day. For many years I was plagued with needing approval from people! I would love to say I no longer do this but, at times, I still find myself being overly "bugged" if I don't meet with everyone's approval! God has dealt with me a lot over the past few months about this (yes, I said months). You would think just once would be enough and I would say, "Thank you, Father for pointing that out to me and thank you for changing that in me!", but no, I had to learn the hard way. I have listened to Joyce Meyer teach on this over and over and over. I even bought the CD so I could listen to it a thousand times more! I mean repetition is what causes you to get it ingrained right? That is true with academics, but man's reasoning is foolishness to God. In other words, when it comes to true "life" changes only God and the Holy Spirit can bring you to a lasting epiphany! One word from God cannot begin to equal to a billion words from mere men and women! Why? Because God knows your heart and His words are filled with power and might. They literally pull down strongholds in your mind! A stronghold is literally anything that has a strong hold on your mind and thinking. "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds" 2 Corinthians 10:4 KJV. One day something particularly upsetting had happened to me and I was talking to my mother about it. I had heard this particular quote she used, but this day I really HEARD what she said! She said there is a saying "What we do for the world will pass, only what we do for God will last!" Stop and just think about that for a moment. How simple, yet how liberating that statement is! When she said that it reminded me of a book I had read a number of years ago. It was about a young man who had signed up for the armed forces. He was fresh out of college and wanted to be an Army doctor. The night before he was to catch his bus to deploy he began to run a fever and became very ill. He knew he had to be on that bus the next day, so he decided to go to bed and just let the army doctor look at him once he got to his destination. The next morning came and he was barely able to make it from his bed. He had gotten much worse in the night! He walked to the bus stop, almost in a delirium, his fever was so high. When he got there he collapsed. He said at that moment he literally had an out of body experience. Suddenly he was standing in front of God! God looked at him and asked him one question, "What did you do for Me while you were on the earth?" The young man thought. He had not lived to an old age, therefore he could come up with very little. In fact, the only major thing in his mind that was good was the fact he had been an Eagle Scout. When he thought of this he answered God and said, "I was an Eagle Scout!" What God said next shocked him. God said, "I asked you what did you do for ME. You did that for your own recognition and feeling of accomplishment. You never even thought about Me as you did what was required in becoming what you want Me to let you into heaven for." The young man was floored because he realized not only was he not saved, but he had done absolutely nothing of true worth in God's eyes. God gave him another chance and he did not waste it! He became a born again Christian and an army doctor and served in WW 2. He told everyone of the love of God and his experience, not caring what anyone thought! That is sobering, yet so important to remember!! You will be asked one question when you meet God face to face. It will not be what did you drive, live in, how many degrees did you possess or even what did everyone think of you! Do you think God will ask Sister Philemena if you are what she thinks you should be? NO! This is the day to prepare to answer that question. God has told us to go into the highways and byways and compel them to come in. He has told us to lay hands on the sick, to heal the brokenhearted and set the captive free through the authority of Jesus! If we are concerned about what others will think of us as we obey this command it will never happen. We will walk away intimidated and defeated! Thank God Jesus did not care what people thought of Him! He would never have done all the things He was sent to do. He did not chase down the seventy when He told them they would have to eat of His flesh and drink of His blood and say, "I am so sorry if that offended you! You misunderstood me!" Jesus was not worried about what they thought. He was there to do the works of His Father Who sent Him! Now I am not condoning you do anything that isn't full of the love of God! Let everything you do be filled with His love, and it will be as you follow the Holy Spirit, for God is LOVE!! God bless you as you walk, led and directed of God, not man. You will fulfill your destiny and many will be blessed beyond what you may ever know! Have a blessed day, all day!