Focusing on God Instead of People - iBelieve Truth: A Devotional for Women - February 3, 2025
“Peter and the other apostles replied: “‘We must obey God rather than human beings!’” Acts 5:29
For most of my life, I have been a people-pleaser. Due to being a people-pleaser, I have often changed who I am or the way I think in order to appease others. Many of us grow up as people-pleasers and others of us develop this trait over time. In a desperate plea for acceptance, I became a people-pleaser for others to like me. I figured if I made them happy and went along with whatever they said, I would have friends.
As one could imagine, this did not go as planned. Rather than finding friends and a community, I got lost in the cycle of changing who I was. It became so bad that I didn’t even know who I was anymore. I had changed so much to appease others that I no longer knew what I liked or enjoyed doing. My music taste, my personality, and my entire life changed to reflect whoever I was around.
In a way, I became a chameleon. According to what others wanted, I shaped and molded myself to fit this form. After I stepped away from doing this, I had to find myself again, and in the process, I developed a stronger friendship with my sister. She had seen how many times I had changed for others, yet she liked me for just me.
I didn’t have to change. I could simply be myself. This is a freeing experience because nobody wants to be someone they are not. It feels as though you are faking your way through life. Once I hit my breaking point, I drifted away from most people. It wasn’t anything they had done, but rather, I needed time to heal and truly find myself again.
Through the help of God and my sister, I finally realized people-pleasing is something I needed to let go of. If I was only focused on acceptance and pleasing others, I would never be able to truly please God or focus on Him. Rather than being completely focused on Him, I would be distracted by the things of this world. As we know, these things will perish (Colossians 2:21-23).
As believers, we need to be focused on God instead of people. If we only listen to what the world says or what other people say, we will miss out on the voice of God and our loved ones. God and our loved ones are the ones we need to be listening to. They are the ones who genuinely care about us and want what is best for us. The world and strangers, sadly, do not.
In the Book of Acts, we are told, “Peter and the other apostles replied: “‘We must obey God rather than human beings!’” (Acts 5:29). As Peter and the other apostles say here, it is more important to obey God than humans. God is our incredible, eternal, and everlasting God, who deserves our full attention, respect, and obedience. Choosing to listen to anyone or anything else besides Him will prove to be futile.
Rather than listening to the input of mankind, we need to look to God. By focusing on Him and leaning into His instruction, we will be able to faithfully follow Him. Not only this, but we will also be more aware of His comfort, peace, and love. God loves us unconditionally, and we need to reflect on this truth when we are more focused on winning the approval of others.
God’s opinion of us is the only one that matters. Even if a person does not like us, that doesn’t mean our worth is tied to their opinion. Our worth is found in God alone. While many people may make us feel worthless, in God, we are worthy. He loves us, and this very love is what brought salvation to all mankind. As believers, we need to reflect on this truth whenever our minds are far from Him.
God truly wants the best for us. The people we want to please do not. Each time we face an encounter where we are tempted to please people, we need to ask ourselves, “Am I trying to please God or mankind?” By answering this question honestly, it can bring our hearts back to God.
Let's pray:
Dear God, I’m sorry for being a people-pleaser for so long. It seems I’ve fallen into the trap of wanting to please others rather than You. Please forgive me for this mistake. Help me follow You and focus on You always. I would rather obey You than mankind. In Your Son’s Name, I pray, Amen.
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/StevoWa
Related Resource: Anxiety: Practical Steps for Healing in Christ
Anxiety is debilitating and can leave us feeling overwhelmed, alone, and defeated. But what if there were practical steps and biblical truths that could lessen the load and aid us in our freedom journeys with mental health struggles? Pastor and Licensed Professional Counselor Susan Thomas joins me to discuss this today! Like what you hear? Subscribe to Bought + Beloved with Kirby Kelly on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
