July 6th Quote of the Day

“I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody."  Bill Cosby

         One of the most difficult lessons to unlearn is the sheer joy of pleasing others.  From infancy on up we are rewarded when we smile for others, when we wave, play Hide-n-seek, and so on.  Making our parents happy; pleasing our teachers and coaches in school; getting on the right side of our peers and “going along to get along” with our friends is ingrained into us early and often.  And honestly, there is nothing inherently wrong in any of that.  In fact, our ability to please others and rather than always trying to please ourselves is a sign of growing maturity and character.

         But it is easy to get stuck in “people pleasing mode” in such a way that we find it nearly impossible to stand up for ourselves or our principles when it means disappointing others.  In fact, if we make pleasing others our goal in life we may well attain our goal only to discover that we have given up everything of real value to make it ours.  The apostle Paul says in Romans 2:29 that if it is our desire to be a woman or man after God’s own heart we need to recognize that our truest praise cannot be from other people, but must have its source in God Himself.

         Bill Cosby summarizes this so well.  ‘I may not be able to tell you how to be successful in all endeavors, but I can tell you how you fail miserably—make pleasing others your highest priority.’  Jesus loved the people around him deeply and indiscriminately.  Yet how different his life and ministry would have been if he had tried to please others instead of pleasing God!