Keeping Up Appearances

A big cause of stress for me is seeking to please other people. I guess like Hyacinth Bucket, I like to try and keep up appearances. I want people to affirm me. Because of this desire for approval, I want to justify my decisions to them too. But as a few wise, older people have told me, I am accountable to God alone for the decisions I make, and my actions. People can, and will think what they like without knowing the full story, but I am accountable to God not them.

When I seek to please God I don't feel this same kind of stress. I know there's nothing I can do to win His approval - He just loves each one of us as we are, regardless of what we do or don't do. And when I sin, and confess my sin to God, He forgives me. That's the amazing grace He offers through Jesus. Not that I should be blaze and just say, "Oh well, God will forgive me", I need to seek to be holy as He calls me to, but at the same time God knows I am human and that I will fail and still sin. That's why He sent Jesus.

God knows my heart. The beginning of Psalm 139 talks about God searching me and knowing me. I can't hide anything from God. So keeping up appearances is a futile exercise with God. It's a scary thought, but also a comforting thought. I don't need anyone else's approval, when I die, God's 'opinion' is the only one that matters, and His opinion is dependent on my acceptance of Jesus. So why do I waste so much time stressing about keeping up appearances?

Thank You Lord that You know my heart, yet You still choose to love me. Help me to seek to please You and You alone and to stop stressing about what other people think of me.