How to Stop Living for People’s Approval
Are you exhausted from endlessly living for people’s approval to keep everyone around you happy? In this episode, discover the absolute freedom of stepping off the people-pleasing treadmill and learning to live entirely for an audience of One.
Are you exhausted from endlessly living for people’s approval to keep everyone around you happy? In this episode, discover the absolute freedom of stepping off the people-pleasing treadmill and learning to live entirely for an audience of One.
Have you ever found yourself completely exhausted from trying to manage everyone else's opinions of you?
Deep down, every believer possesses a holy longing to hear God say, "Well done." The problem is, we often take that deep desire and try to satisfy it with cheap, immediate substitutes. We hustle for social media likes, overwork ourselves for a boss's nod, and compromise what we know is right just to avoid someone's disapproval. But the applause of people is incredibly fickle; today, it’s easy to go from hero to zero faster than you can say, “What happened?”
In this episode, we tell the story of the legendary composer Johann Sebastian Bach. He worked under intense pressure to please demanding royals and town councils. His livelihood depended on their favor. Yet, Bach approached his blank manuscripts differently. He began every piece with the letters J.J. ("Jesus, help me") and ended them with S.D.G. ("To the Glory of God Alone"). Bach viewed his daily work as a private offering. He stopped composing for the applause of the German courts and started writing for his ultimate audience: God.
Through Bach’s example and the promise of Matthew 25:21, you'll see why the praise you receive from people is fleeting, but the approval of God is eternal.
BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU’LL DISCOVER:
- Why seeking the approval of people is a treadmill that will eventually drain you dry
- How Matthew 25:21 provides the ultimate antidote to our obsession with human applause
- A simple, practical daily habit to help you transform your ordinary tasks into an offering for an audience of One
When you stop performing for the crowd, everything you do changes, even when no one else is watching.
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One of the greatest musical minds in human history
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worked under enormous pressure to please the elite. In the
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1700s, Johann Sebastian Bach composed music for demanding
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royals and wealthy dukes and even strict town councils. His
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livelihood and reputation depended entirely on their
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approval. Can you imagine? He was under intense pressure to
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write music that flattered his patrons and bowed to the demands
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of the culture. But what if people's approval wasn't his
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goal? Why would a legendary composer choose to completely
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ignore the crowd and write for an entirely different audience?
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Welcome to Daily Devotions for Busy Lives. I'm Bart Leger, and
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today we're talking about an exhausting trap that so many of
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us fall into without even realizing it. Living for the
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approval of other people. Deep down, every believer longs to
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hear, well done, from God. But we often settle for lesser
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applause. Things such as social media likes, promotions at work,
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and recognition from people who won't remember our names past
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next week. The praise we receive from other people is so fleeting,
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but the approval of God is eternal. Living for an audience
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of one will, I believe, reframe every decision and everything we
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do, even when no one else is watching. One day, we will stand
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before God, and the only review that will matter is His. Listen
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to the words of Jesus in Matthew 25, 21.
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If you're a follower of Jesus, there's an inner desire. God
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gave you to long to hear those words.
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We carefully curate our lives online, waiting for the dopamine
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hit of a like or a share. We work ourselves to the bone,
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hoping the boss will finally notice and hand out a promotion.
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We overcommit our schedules, just so people will think we're
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super productive or indispensable. We shape our
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opinion to match the crowd in the room so nobody gets upset
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with us. And what happens? We end up stepping onto a treadmill
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of people-pleasing that never seems to stop. It's so
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exhausting. And here's the brutal truth about human
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applause. It's incredibly fickle. The crowd that cheers for you on
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Sunday will turn on you by Friday. We go from hero to zero
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faster than you can say, what happened? You can spend your
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entire life building a reputation, and one
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misunderstanding can tear it down. Human approval is a
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terrible master. But when you finally wrap your head around
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the promise of Matthew 25 that the master of the universe knows
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you better than you know yourself and really wants to say,
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well done over your life, it's so freeing. You realize you
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don't have to scramble for the spotlight. You don't have to
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compromise your convictions just to keep people happy. You can
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sweep the floors, lead the meeting, change the diapers, or
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run the company with the exact same posture. Doing it all for
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him. Bach got it. His life's foundation was deeply rooted in
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the Christian faith. It reframed his approach to his career. At
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the beginning of almost every blank musical manuscript, he
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would write the letters J. J, which stood for J. Sujhuva,
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Jesus help me. And at the bottom of the final page, whether it
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was a grand masterpiece or just a basic practice exercise for
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students, he wrote the letters S. D. G, standing for Soli Deo
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Gloria, meaning to the glory of God alone. Bach viewed his daily
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work as an offering. He wasn't compromising for the applause of
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the German courts. His ultimate audience was God. We know social
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media likes Fade. And yes, you might get the promotion, but
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will it make a difference for eternity? And what about
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people's praise? Today, it's easy to go from hero to zero
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faster than, as we said. You can say, what happened? But when you
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stop exhausting yourself for the approval of people and start
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living for an audience of one, it changes everything you do,
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even when no one else is watching. Maybe you need that
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change of perspective today. Are you exhausted from trying to
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keep everyone happy? Are you performing for a crowd that
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really doesn't care all that much in the long run? Here's
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today's challenge. Sometime today, I want you to borrow
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Bach's habit. Take one task you have to do. Maybe it's a big
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presentation at work, a difficult conversation, or
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something as simple as doing the dishes or paying the bills.
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Before you start, quietly pray, Jesus, help me. And when you
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finish, whisper to the glory of God alone. Remind your own heart
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that you are working for an audience of one. Lord, you know
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how easily we get lured into wanting the applause of people.
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We exhaust ourselves trying to be seen and accepted by a world
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that's constantly changing. Forgive us for settling for
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other people's approval. Reorient our hearts today. Help
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us to do everything we do for an audience of one, longing only to
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hear you say, Well done, my good and faithful servant. In Jesus'
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name, amen. If you are struggling with the heavy burden
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of people pleasing today, I would love to pray for you.
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Please, just go ahead and leave me a voicemail at
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dailydevotionsforbusylives.com slash voicemail, and I'll be
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glad to lift you up in prayer by name. The link will be in the
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show notes. Thanks for joining me on Daily Devotions for Busy
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Lives. Remember, human praise is fleeting, but God's approval is
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eternal. Live for an audience of one. Come back next time for
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more encouragement to help you live grounded in God's truth.
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Until then, God bless and have a great day.
