My husband gently approached me to ask me why the sink on my side seemed not to be draining well. He was noticing that the water was not going down the drain very quickly. My instant response was that I didn’t know. I believed I hadn’t noticed it before.

As I walked away from the conversation and did other things while my handy husband inspected what was wrong, my mind went backward, remembering a couple of times it did seem to be draining slow. I had other things to do and places to be, so I ignored it and went on to forget about it.

Soon after, my husband came looking for this tool we have used to clean out the drain. It is a long plastic sticklike figure that goes down into the drain and pulls out the junk that is clogging it. I would show you a picture of what we found, but I am sure you would be mortified.

It was not just clogged, but it was intensely clogged to the point it was affecting the sink from functioning in the way it was created to function.

The next day, God began to show me how what happened to the sink happens to my heart sometimes.

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There are signs that appear but I have things to do and places to be so I ignore the signs.

People I love notice the signs and begin to ask why I am not myself. The Holy Spirit convicts me of things that are out of whack.

I go to get the tools God has given me. His Word. I get into the scriptures. I spend time in prayer, seeking Him to find out what is clogging my heart. I ask for prayer and wise advice from others around me in those sacred places of trust.

For me, the clogging has come from people-pleasing and unwarranted expectations from myself, those I have created, and those that come from others. It has been a false sense of responsibility for anything other than what God has given me to be responsible for in life. It has been my unhealthy need for other’s approval and my insecurity and lack of understanding of my worth and value in God’s eyes.

When I live this way, I don’t function the way God created me to function. I am hindered in my relationship with Him and others, and I don’t walk forward in what He has called me to do.

For I am now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ. Galatians 1:10

When I live my life to please man, things get clogged up. I begin to not function the way God created me to function, and I am no longer living as a servant of Christ.

What does it mean to live a life of pleasing God? What pleases God?

His Word has been given to us so we might know Him and understand His heart. Over the next few weeks, we will study what a life that pleases God looks like. We will talk about what some of the stumbling blocks of people-pleasing are as well.

This is a journey God has me on, and I would love for us to walk on this journey together. I know I must not be the only one whose heart is clogged because of people-pleasing and an unhealthy need for people’s approval.

This is not the only thing that causes our hearts to get clogged. It could be unforgiveness, roots of bitterness, jealousy, or envy.

For others, it can be the lies we have believed or some deception in our lives. It could be people or things in our lives that have become idols.

The list goes on.

First, we have to acknowledge the clogging is happening.

Second, we need to grab the tools God has given us.

Thirdly, we need to begin to live as God created us to live.

I pray you will join me on this journey as we study what God’s Word says about a life that pleases God and exposes the reasons why we people please and seek man’s approval over God’s approval so often.