From People Pleasing to God Pleasing

"But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don't worry or be afraid of their threats. Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it. But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ." 1 Peter 3:14-16

I have come to realize, sadly, that I am fearful person. I fear way too many things, one of these being fear of what others say and think about me. I want to be liked, plain and simple. Sometimes this fear of what others think has gotten in the way of me sharing the gospel or saying something that God has laid on my heart. I've been a Christian for twenty years now and I've become very aware of the nudging of the Holy Spirit. There have been times when I have felt like I should say something to someone or share a passage of Scripture but my fear of looking stupid or stumbling over my words clamps my mouth shut. This passage from 1 Peter has really shown me when I do what I know is right, share the Bible with others and truly live out my Christian life from day to day I will be rewarded. There is nothing to fear in doing what is right because God is so much more powerful than any and all of my fears combined. If someone laughs at me or makes fun of me for something I have done that is right in the eyes of God that is not my problem and God will take care of it in His way and time. I also glean this tidbit of wisdom from this verse...not only am I supposed to share what I know from God's word with others, I need to be studying God's Word and in Bible studies and involved in church so I can truly grasp what God's Word is telling me so in turn I will be able to answer people when they ask me why I believe what I believe. It's very important to know the reason you believe what you believe. It can't be because your parents or a teacher or a pastor or your spouse told you this was the right way to live and the right thing to believe. Searching the Bible and growing in your relationship with Christ is the only way to be able to understand God's truths and become unwavering and steadfast in your faith. Learning about who God is helps you stop worrying so much about what other people think about you and makes you long to please God and care about what He thinks about you.
I have also found that the more I let go of my fear of pleasing others and focus on pleasing the Lord, He has truly blessed me with some of the greatest Christian friends a woman can have. Friends with whom I can share my heart and soul and share each other burdens. For these amazing friends I am truly grateful. Becoming the person God meant for you to be is the greatest blessing, next to salvation, that you'll ever experience on this earth! Let those people pleasing fears go and start living a life pleasing to God!