Will You Serve The Lord Your God
“Will You Serve The Lord Your God“
Joshua 24:15, John 12:42,43
Years ago, I always felt the need for people to like me, want me to be their friend. So, I kind of fell into a small crowd. All through my life I always wanted to do for other’s and make them happy, trying to please all the people I could possibly make happy, just to see a smile on their faces. that’s what was important to me and even to this day.
As the years went by I still seem to do that to this very day, it’s a habit, I thought it was a good habit. I am now 51 years old, and I was always like that ever since I was a little girl.
As, I read and study more and more, I have come to realize I have been a people pleaser, yes, you read right a “People Pleaser”, mostly half of my life, and now that I have realized this, I will be honest and truthful about it, I’m not sure if I feel better that I know this now, or I feel worse.
Because, being a people pleaser, I’ve lost my homebased business I worked for many years to build, lost time with the Lord, lost time for myself, and even my husband, lost time praying, seeking and dealing with my own issues, I just didn’t know all this years ago, so I am not sure how I really feel about all the time I have lost, trying so hard to make other’s happy and I have been the one who is and has been unhappy to an extent, because I lost sight of actually other things, God wanted me to do, and take care of.
Joshua, he was firm, he was a bold man and he stood up for what he believed in, me on the other hand after all these years, I hated to hurt someone’s feelings, I couldn’t stand to see someone cry, or be upset. I always wanted to make people happy and I would do my best to, do whatever I had to do to make it happen. I was always afraid to say NO to someone in my family, because it always started trouble, or someone would start cursing at me, or screaming and hollering, so I have learned to avoid all that was to continue to do what I could to make them happy.
I have always been a person of peace, never liked or wanted to be anywhere or with anyone who was always fussing and arguing, so I try to be referee and try to get other’s to get along, and make them happy. If, something would’ve happened because I said, No, I’m sorry I just cannot do that right now, I would have never forgiven myself.
I was taught when we was growing up, by my parents, and by reading God’s word and through other preachers, that when we help someone , we are helping Jesus as well. So, I always have thought about that, and I do what I feel I need to do to make whatever it is happen for that person.
I was always worried about, if I didn’t do this, if I didn’t do that or help with this or that, that trouble will surely get started and I would regret it, because that’s how some are in my family. I never was or had been and never will be a trouble maker, that’s not how I am, I love peace to much, so I aim to please, I thought I was to be that way.
As, years went by and to this minute, I have come to the realization, “I’m done!” I have spent more times and most of my life, being a “People Pleaser” more than I have a “God Pleaser” and, I am tired of not being a fulfilled Christian, I’m tired of putting my health at risk and being so busy being there for everyone, and not being able to properly take care of my health.
God wants us to take care of ourselves, and I wasn’t able to do this for many years, I have had to put my foot down the past year or so, and say “I’m done, I do not care whether people get mad at me, curse me, scream at me, holler at me, call me names, lie on me, because I am not able to do for them as I used to be able to do. GOD COMES FIRST IN MY LIFE and I will SPEND TIME WITH HIM, before anyone else!
I have learnt through this passage that I have to stand firm, and that my Salvation is more important and time with God than anything else, and doing what He wants me to do. People will just have to get upset and angry, because they can’t answer for me, I have to answer for myself. I want to be a better person, I want to be all I can be, not just for me, but For God as well, I want to do and be all He wants me to do and be!
I the days of Jesus, many leaders believed in Jesus but they would not confess their faith in Him and others. They feared that they would be expelled from the synagogue, if they went public with what they believed in. John 12:42-43
They actually hindered themselves from the relationship with Jesus, because they were addicted to pleasing people, but they wanted a relationship with the Lord as well. They were more worried about the way people would think of them and wanted to please them more than Jesus.
Joshua, now he was blunt and bold, he made everyone know who he served, he declared “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” Joshua 24:15
We all should be like Joshua, be bold, stern and blunt, being bit and determined we will ‘Live and Serve The Lord Our God” not people, whether it be family, friends, etc.
The leaders in Jesus’ day they believed He was real, but loved people’s approval which would not permit them to have a true relationship with Jesus. They said, yes to people, but No to God. We need to realize that not everyone is going to be like us, or want to be. If, we live our lives worrying about what other’s think of us, then we are taking risks and we will miss a true Long Lasting Relationship with Jesus.
Even, though I wasn’t looking for any type of approval from other’s doing for them, more than I was with God, or myself, I had to put my foot down and let other’s know —- Enough is Enough, I’m done, my time with the Lord will come first, before them.
The devil is a thief of our dreams and our hopes, our lives with the Lord, and trust me the devil surely has stolen mine, by taking my dreams and my desires of being healthy, having a good solid relationship with the Lord, and my home based business, he surely has taken from me, but one day he will have to give it all back.
God wanted me to have a fulfilled life with Him, and I wanted one with Him, and because of things I didn’t know or things I thought I did and I was doing it the right way, I allowed him to sneak in and take things from me, but God has been there with me, helping me to stand firm and, He knows I thought I was doing right.
Do NOT let anyone, I mean anyone steal your life with Jesus from you. Jesus died for us, and He gave each of us the freedom to follow Him and Live for Him.
Jesus, will not steer you wrong —- but the devil will, and he has so many people, even in my family and as long as you allow the devil to take away from you, he will take more and more. So, let Jesus take care of you, let Him steer your life, let Him control it, and you will hit home base.
BOLDLY DECREE and DECLARE: That You and Your House will Serve The Lord!!!!
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