The Disease to Please

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In a recent post on People Pleasing Pastors, Craig Groeschel lists four characteristics:

• People pleasing pastors take most criticism personally. Any suggestion feels like a personal attack. We become overly defensive and resentful of even mild corrections.
• People pleasing pastors have an extraordinary fear of rejection. If someone questions our motives, doesn’t like a sermon, or leaves our ministry, it can throw us into a depressed tailspin.
• People pleasing pastors find it hard to express their feelings. Because we have to “please people,” we don’t feel safe expressing our true feelings and needs.
• People pleasing pastors have a hard time saying “no.” Because we want to make people happy. We often over-commit. Although we are outwardly agreeable, we are often inwardly resentful.

He says, "These verses capture the heart of the problem: But because of the Pharisees they would not confess their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved praise from men more than praise from God. John 12:42-43"

Although I'm not a Pastor, I admit it this one smacked me in the face big time. How often have I been guilty of doing exactly the same things?

He ends by stating, "I want to ask, 'What will God think?' more often than I ask, 'What will they think?'”

I don't know about you, but I'm no longer willing to be a people pleaser, especially when pleasing others, keeps me from pleasing God.

My intention's set. And I'm asking, no I'm begging the LORD to cure me of this Disease to Please.

How about you??