Reflection to Insight

So to be totally honest with you guys, people pleasing is something I’ve wrestled with for my entire life. Caring too much about how others perceive me, or being afraid of conflict, has often led to me being passive and not sticking up for myself. Sometimes I’ve even sacrificed my own values as a result of it.

Throughout the last few years I’ve intentionally worked towards being more assertive. I had to start believing that asserting my wants and desires was not at all wrong. And being assertive didn’t mean I had to act like a loud, aggressive bully to get my way. I could speak my thoughts and convictions, and stand firmly by them in love.

The art of being assertive is something I still work towards. And though I have not perfected it, God has continued to provide me wisdom and strength in this area. As His child, I’ve realized that sometimes I may have to be assertive not just for my own personal feelings, but also for the feelings and convictions that God lays on my heart.

The other day I was reading in 2 Chronicles 17. And verses 3-4 caught my attention with them saying, “The Lord was with Jehoshaphat because he followed the ways of his father David before him. He did not consult the Baals but sought the God of his father and followed his commands rather than the practices of Israel.”

From this passage God opened my eyes to see how Jehoshaphat was on a mission to follow the Lord’s ways above the sinful ways of the people around him. This inspired me to also do the same in my own life.

It’s easy to want to fit in with culture, our friends, and family. But sometimes the mission that everyone else is pursuing is not the same one we are called to pursue. Sometimes it differs from the pathway God is calling us down. In order to do things His way, it means being different from everyone else at times.

I admit that this is no easy task though.

If you’re in a place where you’re trapped between what God wants, what your loved ones want, and what you want, and you feel that all three desires are clashing against one another, I want to offer you some hope.

God’s way will lead to the greatest peace, love, and fulfillment you could ever experience. Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

If God designed specific acts and pathways of service for us to follow before we were even born, then it makes sense the way we find our true purpose is by leaning on Him. By living a life hand in hand with Him. We most definitely have free will to act in which ever way we choose. And since God respects our free will, I don’t believe He will ever force us to do something we don’t want to do.

But in saying yes to Him, assertively standing with His calling over our own, as well as the agendas of others speaking into our lives, I believe we will find our greatest fulfillment and have the best adventure we could ever have in this life.

In prior posts I’ve mentioned that in order to trust Jesus and His ways, we must first understand just how much He loves us. To understand His love, we must get to know Him through a relationship with Him. In my own experience that looks like a consistent prayer life, time studying His word, and relationship with other believers who follow Him as well.

I hope that something in this post was helpful for anything you may be experiencing right now. Life is tough, and the internal struggles we work to overcome are challenging as well. But with Jesus we will get through it and find victory in the areas we need help in. He is our Good Shepherd. I love you guys, and I hope you have a blessed day. Take care.