Who You Gonna Please?

2 Timothy 2:3–4 NKJV

You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.

We long for acceptance and approval

We want people to like us.

We live for acceptance and approval.

We spend money we don’t have to buy things we don’t need to impress people we don’t like.

We spend time that we don’t have to do things we don’t like to impress those who are doing the same.

We pretend to be what we are not to impress others who are not who they pretend to be.

We can’t please everyone.

Whose approval really matters?

Social media

Facebook capitalizes on our desire for instant affirmation.

Every time we see that red notification light up, our brain receives a dopamine hit. Dopamine is a chemical in our brain that causes us to seek pleasure from things.

Although pleasure sounds good in principle, overproduced dopamine can cause self-destructive behavior. We can become slaves to the dopamine notifications. This can destroy self-control and quickly lead to addictive and destructive behavior.

We imagine that social media friends are “real” friends. We buy into the false narrative that people with the most “Friends” and “Followers” are better than others. The desire for acceptance and approval can drive us to do things that attract more “friends”, “Likes”, and “Shares”.

Every time we get a “Like” on Facebook, we imagine that someone likes “us”.

Every time someone “Shares” one of our posts, we feel that our input is valued.

This leads to a breakdown in human relationships. Real interactions with people are replaced with online friendships based upon “Likes”, “Comments”, and “Shares”.

We become addicted to the pursuit of more “Likes” and “Shares”.

We become unwilling to engage in an unpopular stand for what is true and right.

The pursuit of approval has led to online bullying and “cancel” culture. Who wants to get “cancelled” from their “source” of acceptance and approval?

Who You Gonna Please?

Who made us?

Who determines our identity?

Who knows our purpose?

Who cares for our soul?

To whom will we give account?

Two Choices

Please others

Please God

Two Outcomes

Deuteronomy 30:19 NKJV

I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;

Blessing and Life

Cursing and Death

Jesus described these two choices as between Life and Destruction (Heaven and Hell)

Matthew 7:13–14 NKJV

“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

Who You Gonna Please?

Colossians 3:23–24 NKJV

And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:9–11 NKJV

Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences.

Please God!