Hey all!
I’ve got a multiple part blog coming your way here part one. Stay tuned for part 2 coming soon!!
“Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am Itrying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.” Galatians 1:10
I’ve been on a journey lately that I honestly didn’t even think I needed to go on. Now that I’m looking back though, I needed it and still need it because I’m far from finished.
You know that feeling of guilt that creeps in when you have to say no to a friend? Or even an “I can’t” has to happen?
What about the feeling when people stop replying to your texts? Like maybe they don’t actually want to be your friend and you’re annoying them.
What about feeling like all of your actions or choices are going to disappoint those around you?
If you know that feeling, then you probably suffer from people pleasing or co-dependency.
These are things that I face every single day.
These things make me sick to my stomach that I still have to deal with them.
I am constantly stuck between “I don’t care what anybody thinks I’m just going to do what I need to do” and not realizing my actions are hurting people and “crap, this person won’t react well or this person would be hurt if I did that so I shouldn’t” and then being stuck never living my life because now I’m worried about everyone else.
If my life depends on other people’s approval, I’ll have joy when they like me.
If my life depends on other people’s approval, I’ll lose my joy when they don’t like me.
BUT
If my life depends on Gods approval, I’ll have joy even when they don’t like me.
Here’s the question then:
Am I going to wait for my life to satisfy everyone else’s needs or am I going to follow the Lords ideas for my life?
It all goes back to that one little verse in Galatians, am I trying to win the approval of human beings, or God?
Obviously I can give you the easy answer, I’m trying to follow God’s plans. That sounds easy enough right? Suddenly flip a switch and I no longer look at others approval of my life…
What about when people give me their approval or disapproval without my even asking for it?
What do I do then?
And this brings us up to current speed as to where I’m at today.
I had to ask myself what do I do when I’m feeling of shame people are UNINTENTIONALLY throwing at me?
Cue the song I’ve had on repeat now like 12 times in a row.
“It may look like I’m surrounded BUT IM SURROUNDED BY YOU.”
Surround by Upperroom
I sing this over and over and over again.
It feels like we’re surrounded, it feels like the world is closing in on us but do you realize that we’re surrounded by Him?
Do you realize that He fights these battles for us?
I constantly ask Him to fight these battles and He does but if I’m being completely open and honest with you all, sometimes I forget to turn to Him to pour back into me.
Leaving me empty and allowing the world to fill me with all of those lies, starting the cycle all over again.
It’s easy to let the world tell you the way your living your life is wrong. It’s even easier to let the people you love tell you it’s wrong.
Can we stop for a minute and realize that the battle isn’t for us to fight though? It’s pointless when we do..actually it can do more harm than good. Suddenly we start to put people in the place of God.
So I guess the choice is ours, are we going to live our lives following people or following Jesus?
Obviously you all know that I am no longer on the World Race so I started a new personal blog page that you can stay tuned with my current life wherabouts.
Follow me at branditeeney.wordpress.com
