Dancing to the right music – Day 2

Fear misaligned

Proverbs 29:25-26 (NLT) “Fearing people is a dangerous trap, but trusting the Lord means safety. Many seek the ruler’s favour, but justice comes from the Lord.”

When pleasing other people become an emotional need driven by fear we should be alerted.  Often, we can confuse respecting, caring, and putting others before ourselves with pleasing.  If we seek the favour of men rather than the favour of God, we need to identify that we have allowed ourselves to be entrapped by pleasing people.

One day I just had it – enough of people and pleasing. I could see myself as this ballerina surrounded by the most expensive and valuable jewellery, but I moved nowhere. I was safeguarding everyone around me as I was turning and swirling to the music of their needs and expectations, just to feel drained and alone at the end of the day.  I just broke down before the Lord and asked Him to show me what I was missing.

“Why do you fear people so much?” Holy Spirit caught me off-guard with this question and as I was trying to reason out fear in my mind. I could see the ballerina again; but this time she was glancing at a mirror, and I could see her reflection and Holy Spirit said – ‘’your fear is misaligned”!

Pleasing becomes a trap when our fears are misaligned. When we fear man more than we fear God. God wants us to love and care for others, but He never intended us to be slaves of performance or pleasing. 

Search your heart today and determine the reason behind your actions. Have you become a people pleaser? Are you driven by fear for people or God?

Prayer: Father God, help us search our hearts today and show us if we have become people pleasers. Help us to admit if we have reacted out of fear instead of obedience to You and show us what the reasons are for our fear and need to please.

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