1. We second-guess everything we say or do.
2. We let friends and culture influence our values.
3. We're more worried about offending man than offending God.
4. We remain silent about God's values when they're unpopular with our friends.
It's appropriate to care about other people's feelings. God tells us to make conflict resolution a priority in our lives (Matthew 5:23-24).
And He tells us to be other-centered, not self-centered (Philippians 2:3-4).
But our first priority must always be to please God, not men (Proverbs 29:25).
People's expectations and opinions of us can change in a moment. God's expectations are stable and dependable.
When someone doesn't like us or is offended by something we've done, let's take it to the Lord first and let Him tell us what pleases Him in the situation (Ephesians 5:10).
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I encourage you to check out the Wisdom for Life Devotional. It contains 100 one-minute devotions to challenge, encourage, instruct, and inspire your love for God's Word: Wisdom for Life. Read the story behind Wisdom for Life HERE. And find out about the two free Bible studies with purchase HERE. You can read the first 4 devotions in the book by clicking "look inside" on Lifeway or Amazon.
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Wooow, This is awesome that we please God.
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