People pleaser

"Obviously, I'm not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ's servant." Galatians 1:10 New Living Translation

People pleasers are some of the nicest people you could ever meet. They're so helpful, always willing to lend a hand wherever it's needed. They never like to say no as they don't want to hurt someone or let them down, because they think this is being selfish and consequentely they end up being taken for granted.
From one point of view being a people pleaser is a good characteristic. This is the hallmark of a good servant. From another, and probably more important, it is not good. People pleasers spend more time trying to please other people than looking after themselves and it stems from insecurity probably caused by something earlier in life. They find it hard to say no, and if they do, they beat themselves up with guilt that they may have let the person down. They have a fear inside about this.

One way a people pleaser can free themselves from this is to start saying, 'No', to small things and sticking to this decision. At first it can seem difficult because the thoughts of guilt start to pile in. However, as this is exercised on a more regular basis, it becomes easier. People will not like this. They have always been used to you being there, willing to help at a moments notice. But as you establish that what you say, stands, they will begin to see that you mean it.

Possibly deep down in your past, you were ignored, unloved or passed over for someone else. Therefore, you had to force yourself forward to get attention, always wanting to be the one that does things well. When you didn't receive thanks or praise for what you did, it hurt but also made you more determined to do better next time.

Listen to me, the only person that you need to please is God - and he is not demanding but will always be grateful for everything you do. Stop people pleasing and start putting God first. This doesn't mean being rude to people and never helping out. But it states that there are other people who can help out for once instead of just little old you.

A final word is that God is so pleased with you. He loves you more than I could ever write about here. Relax in Him; be at peace and enjoy the privilege of being His friend.