Latest / Fostering Faith / Who are you pleasing ?

Transcript

Who are you pleasing ? · Fostering Faith

• 0:00
  Welcome back to Fostering Faith. I am going to
• 0:02
  be your host Tracie Foster for this episode and
• 0:05
  it was such a sad week, a eye -opening week last
• 0:14
  week and we are all kind of just like going through
• 0:20
  you know situations and we have the media and
• 0:23
  we have this and we have that. It was such a
• 0:28
  It's been such a good week. Just as we can see
• 0:31
  the outpouring of God moving in our youth and
• 0:35
  in the nation and what he is doing to the hearts
• 0:40
  and minds and allowing people to just cry out
• 0:44
  to him. And so in this episode, we want to talk
• 0:47
  about something that it's gonna maybe cut to
• 0:51
  the heart. We live in a world where everybody's
• 0:53
  got their own opinion about what we should do,
• 0:56
  how should we act, what we should wear, what
• 0:58
  we believe. And if we're not careful, we'll spend
• 1:01
  our whole lives trying to please people. But
• 1:04
  the Bible makes it really clear. Our aim, our
• 1:06
  calling, our purpose is to please God and not
• 1:09
  man. And today we're gonna be diving into 1st
• 1:12
  Thessalonians chapter 2 to see what Paul says
• 1:16
  about it. how the enemy tries to trap us and
• 1:19
  how we can live as citizens of heaven even when
• 1:22
  people here on earth don't always approve. And
• 1:26
  so our scripture for today is 1st Thessalonians
• 1:28
  2 .4 and it says, but we live and have been approved
• 1:33
  by God to be entrusted with the gospel so that
• 1:36
  we speak not to please man, but to please God
• 1:39
  who tests our heart. That right there is a mic
• 1:44
  drop. I mean, Paul says, look, I'm not living
• 1:48
  for applause. I'm not living for likes. I'm not
• 1:52
  living for man's approval. I've already been
• 1:55
  approved by God and that's enough. And notice
• 1:58
  he tries to do it with heart. He says, God tests
• 2:05
  your heart. Meaning there's isn't, it's not about
• 2:09
  just people see on the outside. It's about your
• 2:12
  motives on the inside. You can look. for like
• 2:15
  a holy Instagram and you could sound so spiritual
• 2:19
  in prayer, but your heart is seeking man's applause
• 2:22
  more than God's. Paul says that you've missed
• 2:29
  it and that's the hard truth, but it's a freeing
• 2:33
  truth. And so we had a new patient come in and
• 2:39
  went through everything and he was like, oh my
• 2:41
  gosh. I'm so glad that I picked you he was just
• 2:46
  like I heard that you were like Tough and he
• 2:49
  was like you're so kind and he was like, I think
• 2:52
  that you're gonna get to the bottom of what I
• 2:55
  would I would I need and I said yes, I said I'm
• 2:58
  not for everybody. I I don't beat around the
• 3:00
  bush I said we talk about all the things And
• 3:05
  I said people want what but they want and I'm
• 3:08
  not gonna give you what you want I'm gonna give
• 3:09
  you what you need and I said it You know if it's
• 3:13
  a conversation if it's a medication if it's a
• 3:15
  supplement I mean if it's a punch in the face,
• 3:17
  I mean spiritually I mean it's done with love
• 3:20
  because I don't want to see a brother and sister
• 3:22
  in Christ living in a way that is not scriptural.
• 3:27
  And so we talk about those things and he was
• 3:29
  just like, I'm so glad that you're religious.
• 3:30
  And I was just like, oh wait, no, I'm not religious.
• 3:33
  I am a follower of Christ. I'm not religious,
• 3:37
  but I do love and appreciate my relationship
• 3:41
  with Christ. And I said, I am not here to please
• 3:45
  people. I used to be a huge people pleaser. I
• 3:47
  wanted everyone to like me and it was just like
• 3:50
  exhausting, literally exhausting and I couldn't
• 3:56
  do it anymore. Like it was just so like daunting.
• 4:00
  And one of my mentors growing up, he said that
• 4:03
  you have to lay your head on the pillow tonight
• 4:05
  and know that you gave 110 percent. And I can't
• 4:10
  make people do anything. I can't make people
• 4:12
  listen. And it was just like, I will give you
• 4:15
  all the information that you need to know to
• 4:17
  be successful. If you don't want to see a another
• 4:21
  person or you don't want to get this lab you
• 4:23
  don't want to do this and you don't want to do
• 4:24
  that I can't I can't make you do it but this
• 4:25
  is what I would like to do to help solve the
• 4:28
  problem and I turned into my scripture this morning
• 4:33
  I'm just walking through kind of the New Testament
• 4:35
  chapter by chapter and that's what he brought
• 4:37
  me to this morning was that first Thessalonians
• 4:40
  and I was like oh my gosh like you are just so
• 4:43
  good to me like just knowing that he was in the
• 4:46
  room yesterday listening to the conversation
• 4:48
  and And then I turn into scripture this morning
• 4:51
  and it was just like it was just right there
• 4:53
  I was like shut your face. That is so great.
• 4:55
  I just I just love you like you're so good to
• 4:57
  me and so as we go into You know the trap of
• 5:02
  people pleasing and let's be real the enemy loves
• 5:04
  to use people pleasing as a trap Why? Because
• 5:08
  it wears you out. You can't please everybody
• 5:10
  and don't try. You're not going to do it. You're
• 5:14
  just not. You can be someone's tea and then you
• 5:17
  can be someone's iced coffee. I mean, it literally
• 5:20
  is. You're not going to please everyone. One
• 5:22
  person wants you bold. Another person wants you
• 5:24
  quiet. One wants you compassionate. One wants
• 5:26
  you strong. One claps for you. The other one
• 5:28
  cancels you. And if you let the world dictate
• 5:31
  your worth, you'll never know peace. And so we
• 5:34
  have Proverbs 29, 25 that warns us, the fear
• 5:37
  of man lies in a snare. But whoever trusts the
• 5:39
  Lord is safe. That's that's safe. That's that's
• 5:45
  biblical safe. That's isn't that powerful. Fear
• 5:49
  a man, fear of man is a trap. That's like walking
• 5:53
  in quicksand. You think that you're gaining ground,
• 5:56
  but you're really sinking and trusting in the
• 5:59
  Lord. That's where safety is found. That's where
• 6:02
  identity is found. That's what confidence is
• 6:04
  found and We are not citizens of Earth or citizens
• 6:09
  of heaven and Paul reminds us in Philippians
• 6:13
  That we are citizens of heaven Philippians 320
• 6:16
  and that means your passport doesn't say United
• 6:20
  States first. It doesn't say Italy It doesn't
• 6:24
  say Mexico It says heaven and that's our true
• 6:27
  home We're here temporarily, but our roots are
• 6:31
  eternal. And as citizens of heaven, we're not
• 6:35
  always going to look normal to people. They're
• 6:38
  going to judge us. And remember, we are set apart.
• 6:41
  We are set apart as children of the most high.
• 6:46
  And so sometimes people won't understand your
• 6:48
  decisions. Some people won't understand why you
• 6:51
  believe in the Bible. They won't understand your
• 6:54
  values. They won't understand why you live differently.
• 6:56
  And guess what? That's okay. That's okay because
• 7:00
  we're not meant to blend in we were meant to
• 7:04
  stand out and so now I Understand that you're
• 7:10
  like, yeah, I don't fit in I don't I don't get
• 7:13
  it. Like I just don't I just want to fit it I
• 7:15
  just want to be like them. No, you were not meant
• 7:19
  to just blend in you were meant to shine and
• 7:24
  so here's some practical ways. How do we actually
• 7:28
  live out as people who please as God first? One,
• 7:32
  check your motives. Ask yourself, am I doing
• 7:35
  this for the applause or obedience? Am I posting
• 7:40
  this to glorify Jesus or glorify me? Check your
• 7:45
  heart. But also check it in prayer because he
• 7:49
  will check you. I pray it. the time check my
• 7:53
  heart check my eyes check check my family's heart
• 7:56
  my friend's heart I mean if you're a friend of
• 7:59
  mine, you know, you are prayed for and and you
• 8:03
  know if Yeah, it's just you cover your friends
• 8:07
  and prayers and if you have any concerns over
• 8:09
  your friends You pray for them you pray for them
• 8:11
  have have God check their heart He will illuminate
• 8:13
  things that you and you don't even have to have
• 8:15
  the conversation with them They will feel some
• 8:17
  type of way And it is just a way for you just
• 8:22
  to be a loving, dearing friend and you don't
• 8:24
  even have to mention it to them, but know that
• 8:25
  your friends are covered in prayer. And two,
• 8:29
  stay in the world. You can't know what pleases
• 8:32
  God if you're not reading his word. Romans 12
• 8:37
  .2 says, don't conform to the pattern of the
• 8:39
  world, but be transformed by the renewal of your
• 8:42
  mind. And then you will know God's will. You
• 8:45
  have to read scripture. You have to know what
• 8:46
  it says. He says, write it on your heart. And
• 8:49
  that is the best thing, because if the devil
• 8:51
  is willing to go after Jesus, please know that
• 8:54
  you are a snack to him. And what did he come
• 8:57
  to Jesus with? Scripture. But what did Jesus
• 9:00
  fight him back with? Scripture. So please know
• 9:03
  that the enemy knows the word better than you
• 9:06
  do. And so that's why it's so important to be
• 9:09
  in your word, to study your word, and just for
• 9:12
  God, for the Holy Spirit, just to illuminate
• 9:14
  it. But you have to want to read it. You have
• 9:18
  to want to know God. You have to know, you know,
• 9:21
  what scripture says because the enemy will twist
• 9:24
  it just a little bit and you're like, oh, is
• 9:25
  that true? You know? And I mean, that's how he
• 9:29
  deceived Adam and Eve. He twisted it. Did he
• 9:32
  really say that? No, no, actually he didn't.
• 9:34
  And you took that out of context. Let me tell
• 9:36
  you what that actually means. And it's because
• 9:38
  you actually spent time in scripture. Three,
• 9:42
  be gentle and kind. Now listen. Not pleasing
• 9:45
  man doesn't mean being harsh. It doesn't mean
• 9:48
  beating people over the head with a Bible. No,
• 9:50
  Paul says in 1st Thessalonians 2 .7 that he and
• 9:53
  his team were gentle among them like nursing
• 9:56
  mothers taking care of their own children. That's
• 9:59
  tender. That's kind. We can be unshakable in
• 10:03
  truth, but gentle in tone. Now, am I always gentle
• 10:08
  and kind? In my mind I am, but some people think
• 10:11
  that I am real rough and I have a stare that
• 10:14
  will just eat through your soul. And I'm working
• 10:18
  on that. Am I perfect? No. Is my heart posture
• 10:22
  right? Am I trying to be better? Am I trying?
• 10:25
  But it's just an urgency. Like, because I'm just,
• 10:28
  I just, I'm so excited and passionate and just
• 10:32
  love all the things. So do I try to be gentler
• 10:36
  and kind? Absolutely. Do I get real passionate
• 10:39
  and kind of irritated at times? Absolutely. And
• 10:43
  that's something that I will probably work on
• 10:46
  until I die. And four, expect opposition. If
• 10:51
  you are living for heaven, don't be surprised
• 10:53
  when earth pushes back. Jesus said in John 15,
• 10:56
  18, if the world hates me, it will hate you.
• 11:00
  And that's not meant to scare us. It's meant
• 11:02
  to prepare us. He literally tells you what's
• 11:05
  gonna happen. Opposition is confirmation that
• 11:09
  you're on the right path. And so, yes, and so
• 11:12
  that can be taken like, you know, oh, they're,
• 11:15
  you know, whatever. Make sure that what you're
• 11:17
  fighting for is biblically based. Make sure that
• 11:20
  you have talked to somebody. Make sure that your
• 11:23
  theology is well -rooted and that you've been
• 11:25
  talking to other people that you are looking
• 11:28
  for. what is actually said in scripture and not
• 11:31
  taking it out of context. So make sure that you're
• 11:33
  in community because theology by yourself isn't
• 11:38
  probably a great idea. So make sure that you're
• 11:40
  talking and making sure that your theology is
• 11:42
  good before you stand your ground on something
• 11:44
  that is that opposite. And so we have the enemy
• 11:48
  schemes. You've got to be recognized. The enemy
• 11:52
  schemes. He wants to exhaust you, chasing approval
• 11:57
  that you'll never catch. It's a carrot. It's
• 11:59
  a dangling carrot. He wants you to be watered
• 12:01
  down, compromise truth so people will like you.
• 12:06
  He wants you distracted, scrolling for validation
• 12:09
  instead of listening to God's voice. But in Ephesians
• 12:13
  six, it tells us that put on the armor of God.
• 12:16
  That means when the enemy whispers, you need
• 12:19
  approval. We answer with truth. I'm already approved
• 12:23
  by God through Christ Jesus and when he says
• 12:26
  you're not enough We answer I'm chosen I'm holy
• 12:30
  and I'm dearly loved because it's written in
• 12:33
  Colossians 312 And it says they don't like if
• 12:39
  you want to take a stand We respond I'd rather
• 12:43
  stand with God and be judged By man than stand
• 12:46
  by man and be judged by God And so I hope this
• 12:52
  encourages you that we are not seeking the approval
• 12:55
  of man, that we are seeking the approval of God.
• 12:58
  So friends, let me encourage you. Don't fall
• 13:00
  into the trap. Don't waste your energy living
• 13:03
  for likes. Don't shrink back from the calling
• 13:06
  that God has placed on your life because you're
• 13:08
  afraid someone won't approve. You're not called
• 13:11
  to be a people pleaser. You're called to be a
• 13:14
  God pleaser. And when you live that way, It might
• 13:18
  not always make you popular, but it'll make you
• 13:21
  faithful. And Paul said in Galatians 1, 10, I
• 13:24
  am now seeking the approval of man or God, or
• 13:28
  am I trying to please man? And if I was still
• 13:30
  trying to please man, I would not be a servant
• 13:33
  of Christ. And so today, walk in the freedom,
• 13:38
  live as citizens of heaven, and please the Lord
• 13:43
  first. and let his smile over your life matter
• 13:46
  more than anyone else's opinion. And so, if this
• 13:51
  encouraged you, inspired you, share it, send
• 13:54
  it to a friend, leave us a review, leave us a
• 13:57
  comment, and... We would love to pray for you.
• 14:00
  And so dear Heavenly Father, thank you so much
• 14:01
  for these listeners. Thank you that we are going
• 14:03
  to be rooted in your word. Thank you for the
• 14:06
  opportunity to spend time with you. Thank you
• 14:08
  for that time to cry out in prayer. Thank you
• 14:11
  that you are writing the words of scripture on
• 14:13
  our heart. Thank you that we are going to be
• 14:14
  pleasing to you. Thank you that you're searching
• 14:16
  our heart. Thank you that you're searching our
• 14:17
  mind. Thank you that you're searching our soul.
• 14:20
  Thank you that we are going to be men and women
• 14:24
  of God and not of this earth. Thank you for an
• 14:30
  opportunity to be citizens of heaven. In Jesus
• 14:32
  name I pray. Amen. So thank you so much for tuning
• 14:35
  in to Fostering Faith. If this encouraged you,
• 14:37
  share it with a friend. And remember, you're
• 14:40
  not of this world. You are a child of God, approved,
• 14:44
  loved. Keep your eyes on Him and keep fostering
• 14:47
  your faith. Have an amazing week. We love you
• 14:50
  guys.