This blog, about others has been put off for a while. This is for a few different reasons. First, the excuse of not having a computer. What a silly excuse. My computer broke back in Peru two months ago. I wanted to re-listen to the sermon, but I didn't have it any more. What a silly excuse for an actual underlying problem. Had I really dealt with this idolatry?
No.
I hadn't worked through it or eliminated it. And that wasn't something I was proud of. I know that I didn't want to post a blog if I hadn't walked through it and truly changed in that area. I am at the point now where I can comfortably write this blog (Praise Jesus!) but I wasn't a couple months ago.
"Others" is one of the most commons idols. Individuals or groups. In many forms; seeking the approval of others, wanting people to accept me or comparing myself to others.
We should respect people, but not worship them.
Worshiping others can mean a lot of things. Your place, state, city, race, gender, income level, hobby, sports team, political party. If I worship them then I have to hate them. (If you like one sports team, you have to not like the fans of the other sports team).
If you idolize you will demonize.
Social Media is about creating an identity. How do people perceive me on facebook. What a sad truth to admit to. Worrying about what my facebook page looks like. Untagging myself in photos that I don't think I look good in. Wanting to impress people by certain statuses I type.
We start creating someone that we wish we were or we wish other people thought we were.
We live in a world were someone is always creating an identity and someone is always criticizing an identity.
Comparison. This is a term used so often on the World Race. Why? Because it is a very real and very true issue young adults struggle with. Actually, people at any stage in life do it. When did comparison go from just looking at two things and comparing them, to one thing being better than the other? Why can't I look at my best friend and think "her hair is straight and mine is curly, it's a fact" rather than "I wish my hair was straight like her's."
I struggled a lot with comparison. I never knew I did until it was revealed on the race. I've been told a lot of lies by guys, telling me I'm not good enough, causing me to look at what or who was good enough and how I could be more like that. I've seen people that have awesome talents and looked at my own and how my skill level is so below theirs. I've tried to change myself to be more like others or to be what I thought others would like.
I think that's the truth about me that hurts the most. I became very good at changing who I am or tweaking myself just a little bit to be accepted, approved or wanted by people. And that's not something to be proud of or a thing that I want to be good at.
On the race, I've become a lot more comfortable being me. All parts of me, the quirky parts that I used to hide. The loud parts that I used to try to tone down so that I don't get weird looks. The emotional parts that I used to think were not okay, too raw or embarrassing.
I'm learning to live in my skin and be Melanie for myself and for the Lord and not for people. I'm learning to only seek approval from God and not from people. I'm learning not to compare things or people as one is better. And I am learning not to create false identities to fit what I percieve people will want.
It's a learning process, but I am closer now than I was before the race.
