I Can and I Will Through God’s Power - 7 Ways to Live Boldly for Christ by Ayub Paulಮಾದರಿ

Walking faithfully with God comes with challenges, but it’s in these moments that you need to find courage. You will face challenges, but let this phrase, inspired by Philippians 4:13, be your daily reminder: “I Can and I Will through God’s Power: 7 Ways to Live Boldly for Christ”
For the next seven days let's look at seven practical steps to help you live boldly for Christ.

1. Stop pleasing people, start pleasing God
Falling into a people-pleasing trap is extremely dangerous to our physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. We adapt this attitude in our personal values and it affects our integrity. When the desire to please becomes a driving force, it can lead individuals to compromise their own values and integrity. Humans have an innate desire to seek approval from others to feel like they “belong” which can cause an “approval addiction”. Relying on others’ approval helps us feel more confident about our personal choices. It is not only biological, but all the other factors play a significant role such as your family, friends, community, personal experiences, etc. Here are three steps that can help you to eliminate people-pleasing from your life:

(i). Live only to please God, not man (Galatians 1:10)
If you want God to use you for His glory then you need to stop seeking people’s approval. You are not a servant of Christ, if the only goal in your life is to please people. While Jesus lived on Earth, He could have reached out to a much wider audience simply if He had been more agreeable with the religious leaders, but He knew He had to remain focused on His Earthly mission. He was not going to let pleasing people get in the way of His mission. I always get so fascinated by how focused Jesus was whenever I am tempted to fall into the people-pleasing trap. If Jesus could not please everyone, why should I bother trying?

(ii). Start to value the uniqueness of a person (Psalm 139:13-14)
The Psalmist reminds us that each person is intricately designed and put together by God. God in all His wisdom and power could have just mass-produced humans by cloning them all, it certainly would have been easier. However, to make each human unique certainly takes time and much intricacy. Not all of the prophets had a burning bush experience as Moses did. God works in His own ways in everyone’s life; therefore, we must praise His uniqueness and thank Him for ours. God has made us all unique and we can desire and pray for many gifts if it is God’s will for you, you will receive it. If it is not His will, you will receive something different which may be the best for you. Deeply value your own gifts and those of others; live a life of contentment and gratitude. After all, God sees us all as His children who He so lovingly and uniquely made.

(iii). Learn the art of saying No! (Matthew 12:38-39)
Not being able to say “No” stems from the desire to seek others’ approval and please them.
As followers of Jesus Christ, we can learn from His example of saying "No!" Jesus was unlike many of the public figures we see today whether it's celebrities, politicians, or even Pastors and Evangelists. Jesus was not driven by the expectations of others. He stood firm in His purpose and fulfilled His mission, knowing full well that He could not do everything people asked of Him unless it aligned with God's plan. Throughout His ministry, Jesus said "No" many times to the requests and demands made by people, even His own disciples. He was not there to please them whatsoever. Ask the Lord to grant you wisdom and teach you how to say “No” effectively, especially when necessary. If you learn to say “No” to protect your privacy, and integrity and to honour God, the desire to seek others’ approval will start to fade away. You will be on the path of fulfilling God’s unique plan for your life.