Stop Performing

You’ll Never Please Everyone Anyway

Stop Performing

You’ll Never Please Everyone Anyway

Every Christian who has lived long enough knows the truth:
If you try to please everyone, you will end up pleasing no one and destroying yourself in the process.

A simple post shared by a friend on Facebook captured it perfectly. I took that thought, expanded it, and developed it into this a livestream and this article, because it captures an important biblical lesson about authenticity, wisdom, and godliness.

Here is the thought:

If you act too smart, folks will say you are a know-it-all or arrogant. If you scale back, they think you are dumb.
If you are more successful than someone else, they get jealous. If you fail, they think it is hilarious.
If you are a natural leader who makes decisions easily, you are a dictator. If you do not make decisions fast enough, you are indecisive.
If you talk too much, folks will say you are annoying. If you do not talk enough, they will say you are rude.
If you are too generous, people take advantage. If you do not help, you are stingy.
If you move fast, folks will say you are spastic. If you move too slow, you are lazy.
If you post too much on Facebook, you have no life. If you never post at all, you are just a stalker.

The lesson is simple:
Living for man's approval will cost you God's.

If you want to be miserable, try to be a people pleaser.
Otherwise, be the very best version of yourself.

Even Jesus Faced Misunderstanding: Why Pleasing Man Is Futile

In Matthew 11:16–19, Jesus warned:

"But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows, and saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented" (Matthew 11:16–17).

John the Baptizer lived an austere life in the wilderness, eating locusts and wild honey, and they said he had a devil.
Jesus lived among the people, ate and drank with them, and they called Him a glutton and a drunkard.

No matter what you do, someone will find fault.
If Jesus and John could not please the masses while living righteously, no Christian should expect to either.

You do not dance just because someone plays a flute.
You do not mourn just because someone demands it.
You serve God, not the fickle moods of men.

Stop Boasting: Live Obediently Today

Proverbs 27:1 warns:

"Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth."

People-pleasers often live in a fantasy of future accomplishments, seeking validation in advance. They want applause today for promises about tomorrow.

A Christian should live in the moment, faithful today, without boasting or chasing man's approval.
Validation must come from God, not from future-faking talk designed to impress the crowd.

Confidence must be placed in God’s providence, not in man's applause.

The Danger of Feeding on Flattery: A Personal Warning

Proverbs 27:6 says:

"Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful."

Those who flatter you when you please them will often betray you when you stop.

I once had a man call me, praising me to the sky, even comparing me to Guy N. Woods. The first time we disagreed, I went from brilliant to the dumbest person alive and a supposed false teacher.

If your self-worth is tied to such people, you will be tossed around like a leaf in the wind.
Their kisses are deceitful. Their approval is a trap.

You must be full in your soul — full enough not to crave their empty praise.

God’s Approval Never Loses Its Sweetness

Proverbs 27:7 teaches:

"The full soul loatheth an honeycomb; but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet."

Man’s approval is like eating cake batter.
It tastes good for a moment but leaves you sick after a few bites. It cannot sustain you. It does not nourish you. It has a "taste memory" — each bite becomes worse.

God’s approval, like the honeycomb, never loses its sweetness.
It satisfies every time, for a lifetime.

You cannot feed on man’s applause and stay healthy.
You will become addicted, constantly chasing the dragon, constantly needing more, but finding less satisfaction.

Feed on the Word of God. Feed on His approval. Feed on His faithfulness.
You will never be hungry again.

Refuse to Wander from God’s Path

Proverbs 27:8 says:

"As a bird that wandereth from her nest, so is a man that wandereth from his place."

A bird that leaves the nest becomes prey.
A Christian who leaves his God-given place, chasing the shifting approval of others, becomes spiritually vulnerable.

Satan is a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8).
Leaving your place in Christ puts you in his path.

Stand where you are supposed to stand.
Work where you are supposed to work.
Serve with the gifts God gave you.

Find your identity in Christ, not in applause or criticism.

Paul said:

"For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ" (Galatians 1:10).

You cannot serve both man and God.
You must choose.

Conclusion

You cannot please everyone.
You are not supposed to.

Trying will leave you frustrated, bitter, and empty.

Be the best version of the person God created you to be.
Feed your soul with the honeycomb of truth and faithfulness, not the scraps of man's fleeting approval.

Stay at your post.
Stay in your purpose.
Stay in Christ.