Today, I would like to share with you one last essential thing you can do to ensure that this year is the finest ever. So far, we’ve discussed consciously relaxing, ruthlessly eliminating hurry, allowing gaps in our life, setting boundaries, and living to please God rather than people.

If there’s one thing I want you to remember this year as you strive to live a life of abundance, it’s that pleasing people leads to shame. You will never be able to meet the expectations of others, no matter how hard you try. Consider the hundreds of people you know or have encountered throughout the course of your life, each with their own unique viewpoints, oddities, expectations, and ideals. Is it even remotely plausible that you would be able to tangle yourself up in knots in order to make everyone happy? Not even close! Even if you limit down your list of people you want to satisfy to just the top five, it’s a fruitless process. You were not born to please others, and you will never be able to make everyone happy. When you read the Gospels, you will notice that Jesus disappoints every single person at least once. His answers were not always what others wanted to hear, even from those closest to Him, but that didn’t stop Him from carrying out His mission. See, the only person He cared about pleasing was His Father, who approved of Him even before He began His work!

Friend, trying to satisfy others will not get you where you want to go, therefore I encourage you to ask just what God wants from you in every decision you make. The rest is irrelevant! People will disappoint you, but if you keep your eyes on Jesus, everything will be well. Your Heavenly Father is overjoyed with you because He recognizes His Son in you. You don’t have to strain and strive; you may rest and relax knowing that God’s salvation work has already been completed and that you are His beloved child.