Hi and welcome to the Battle Drill Daily Devotional. I'm Rob Westwood-Payne, and I'm here to help you start your day spiritually strong with a quick, powerful devotional from God's Word. Don't forget to visit battledrilldevotional.com for more daily devotionals and resources. Now let's jump in. Hello and welcome. I'm so glad you've joined me today. Do you ever feel drained because you're trying to keep everyone else happy? You smile, you nod. You say yes even when you want to say no. You stretch yourself so thin to meet other people's expectations. But inside your weary you're anxious and you're stuck. If you want to grow in faith and freedom, then you must stop seeking others approval. The writer of Proverbs puts it bluntly the fear of human opinion disables. Trusting in God protects you from that. Proverbs 29 and verse 25. Now that's a pretty hard verse, isn't it? The truth is that the constant need for approval is a trap. It ties you up. It shapes your choices and it steals your peace. When you live for human applause, you lose yourself. You hide the truth. You bury your needs. You shrink back from who God has called you to be. In the end, you live someone else's life. But here's the good news. You don't have to stay stuck in that cycle. God invites you to live in freedom, to stop seeking others approval and to start seeking his instead. His love isn't earned. It's freely given. His opinion doesn't swing with the mood of the crowd. It's steady and sure. And when you reach your life in that truth, you find real strength. Of course, of knowing the struggle myself in ministry, I've often felt the pressure to please everyone my congregation, the community, even leaders in the Salvation Army. There have been times when I gave in to that pressure, and it left me feeling weary and shallow. But the moment that I stopped and prayed, Lord, what pleases you? Those were the moments of peace, even when others disagreed with me. I knew that I was walking in step with him. Think about Jesus for a moment. One day the crowds shouted his praise. But days later, they called for his death. Yet he never swerved from his father's call. He was free because he lived to please God, not people. And that same freedom is possible for you too. So what does this look like in your life today? It might mean saying no. Even when your instinct is to keep the peace. It might mean being honest about your faith, even when others might laugh at you. It might just mean resting in God's approval when no one else notices your effort. Every time you choose God over human opinion. You take another step into freedom. Stop seeking other's approval. Live to please God instead. That's where peace begins. Today's thoughts start to question for you to think about. Is this. Whose opinion do you fear most right now? And how will you choose to trust God's instinct today? Let's pray. Lord, I admit I get caught in the trap of pleasing people. Free me from that fear. Teach me to seek your approval above all else. Give me courage. Give me honesty and help me to trust in your love. In Jesus name. Amen. See you again soon. Thanks so much for watching Battle Drill Daily Devotional. If you found today's message helpful, please like, share and subscribe so we can keep bringing daily encouragement to more people. And for more devotionals and resources, head over to battledrilldevotional.com. Stay strong and stay battle ready.