I am a card-carrying member of PPA – People Pleasers Anonymous. I suspect most of us are. And making others happy is generally a good thing, up to a point. But as addicts, we can cross that point, almost without notice.
Norman Vincent Peale said, “The problem with most of us is that we’d rather be ruined by praise than saved by criticism.”
Sometimes we have to make a choice. Sometimes we have to make decisions that feed our recovery, rather than the expectations of others. Sometimes we have to do things that deepen our personal faith and sobriety, even when others don’t get it. And sometimes, others won’t like us for that.
And we have to be okay with that.
Recovery Step: Consider the following question, posed by the Apostle Paul. “Am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ” (Galatians 1:10).
