Am I pleasing or loving people?

I recently started reading a really awesome book titled: "The Best Yes" I'm only 2 chapters in and it's already amazing!

There's a quote from the first chapter that just really stuck with me:

                 "We must not confuse the command to love with the command to please"

But wait, what's the difference between pleasing and loving?

Pleasing- To cause to feel happy to take their wishes into account when deciding how to act

Love- Unselfish loyalty, and concern for the good of the other


 

        Oftentimes it's easy to think of pleasing people and loving them to be the same thing, however that is not the case. When you truly love someone with Christ's love that is a completely selfless love, one where you desire their good above yours, and you want nothing in return. This is quite different to trying to please people, when you please someone, you want to make them happy, and while there is nothing wrong with wanting to make someone happy the underlying motivation to this can easily become selfishness, you want to do what they want and make them happy, so that you don't ruin a relationship or so that they'll like you more.

            While sometimes pleasing and loving might look the same the motivation behind them are very different, and because of that loving someone allows you to tell people hard and uncomfortable things, it lets you confront them and speak truth into their lives, because when you love someone your ultimate goal isn't to please them or make you happy with them. You're okay with them not liking you at the moment, because your ultimate desire is for their good and to help them to see and love God more!

I pray I that I seek to please people less, and love people more!

"Be completely humble and gentle; be patient bearing with one another in love."
            -Ephesians 4:2

What 2 months with a concussion has taught me.....

After an accident at dance, I ended up with a severe concussion and it has now been 8 weeks and counting with this silly concussion. It's been a rough 8 weeks, but God has really taught me a lot through all of this!


Two of the biggest lessons that God has taught me these past 2 months

 Prayer 
      &
 Being quiet and still 


I am a very busy girl, always doing something, going somewhere with a never ending to-do list. My life is full of lots of noises and too often I do not take the time to rest and refresh, and God has given me this time where all I have been able to do is rest. He has also shown me the importance of being still and quiet before God. When I consistently have the noise of the world surrounding me how do I expect to hear from God. I need to take time to listen for his still small voice and to simply sit and be in his presence. I complain that God doesn't answer me, but in reality I am the one who doesn't take the time to actually listen to Him.

Prayer: I wanted to grow in praying more this year, and because of my concussion I cannot read or have Jesus time, but the one thing I can do is pray. So God has given me so much time just to talk to him and come into his presence with thankfulness as well as requests and just to talk with him as i spent hours laying him my bed.

As hard, challenging and frustrating as this past month has been I am so very grateful for how God has used this to teach me, and bring me closer to himself.

I am grateful for the love and care that I have received from all of my amazing friends, they dropped everything to care for me, and serve me, bring me food, drive me to doctors appointments and tests and have taken notes for me in my classes. I have felt very blessed this past month.

Now, as I slowly recover and being to start therapy sessions, and begin attending classes again. I don't want to forget what I have learned to remember that God is with me to give me strength and patience to male it through the next couple of challenging weeks.

"The only way you will ever run to the Helper is by running away from the delusion of Independence"  ---- grateful that God reminded me that I am not independent that I NEED Him! Because too often I try to be in charge of my life and live like I'm the one who is in control, but in reality I am finite and weak, and thankfully God who is good, gracious and all powerful is the ruler of my life.

God never ceases to amaze me!