Hebrew 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.
The monkey of “people pleasing” and “fear of people” will suck our spiritual energy and deplete our fervor for the Lord. Fear of being ostracized, excluded or judged can pollute the character of a person. The actions and reactions would be poisoned by the toxin of ‘people pleasing’. Truth be told—we can’t please everyone all the time. Once this monkey of “people pleasing” jumps on our back, our behaviour will be controlled by the opinion of others. Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe (Proverbs 29:25).
There was a division in the early church between the Jewish Christians, who were circumcised and the non-Jews who were converted into Christianity. Some Jews brought their customs and tried to infiltrate the Gospel of Grace. Peter was duped by the monkey of “people pleasing” and wavered from the truth. In Acts 15, during Peter’s visit to Antioch, before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group (Galatians 2:12). However, Paul opposed Peter to his face. Interestingly, we note that Peter fades away from the book of Acts from chapter 15.
“Fear of People” is a snare and People Pleasing is a pit that will destroy our purpose. Seeking affirmation and approval from people will blind the divine vision. If we please man we cannot please God or flourish in our God-given purpose. The monkey on our back will distract us from our destiny.
The Monkey of People Pleasing:
- Worthless: The urge to please people is to gain their favour and approval but ‘people pleasing’ will render us worthless in the eyes of God.
- Waver: Fear of people will make us waver from God’s Word.
- Withdraw: God’s favour withdraws where man’s praise is pursued.
“The monkey of “people pleasing” will deplete the favour of God”.
Prayer: Dearest Lord Jesus, let the reverential fear of God trump over the fear of man or pleasing people. Amen.
Leave a Reply