Last week (Nov. 20), ESPN sports commentator and former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow encouraged his social media followers to live to please God, not people.
Tebow, more known for his iconic pre-game prayer pose than his professional career stats, shared on Instagram that he previously struggled with trying to please people so they would like him.
“Growing up, I always wanted people to like me. I was what you would call a people pleaser,” Tebow said. “Today, while I still strive to do good things for others as we all should, I’ve come to realize that our main audience in life isn’t other people. It’s God. Be motivated not by what other people think about you but by what God thinks about you!”
The recipient of 2022’s K-Love Sports Impact Award has echoed similar reflections in years past, asking people whether they’d rather have people like or respect them. “From my first memories, I’ve been such a people pleaser,” the Christian influencer said during an interview he posted in July 2020. “I like making people laugh, smile. I like making people have fun around me. I like joyful people—I want to make other people’s lives better. That’s just my nature. I like it, and so I want everybody to like me. What I’ve come to realize is, wouldn’t I rather have people respect me than like me?”