"Speak your mind. Even if your voice shakes." For some reason, this quote stuck out as I quietly read it on my co-worker's wall of button quotes. Out of a hundred buttons, this particular pink and purple button stuck out the most. I began to think of all the times I had not spoken my mind or went along with what others wanted me to because I did not want to disappoint them.
God brought this to my attention: I was seeking man before him, all along. Instead of truly trusting what God spoke to my own heart, I did what I thought others wanted me to do in order to gain their approval. ‘People pleasing’ was an idol I placed before God.
Maybe you have struggled with this too. Have you found it difficult to really give a genuine opinion about something because of fear of how you will be seen? Or maybe you sacrificed something you really wanted to do or have done something that you did not want to do because you did not want to upset anyone.
‘People pleasing’ is actually a sin my sisters. Galatians 1:10 reads, if you seek to please people then you should not be a servant of God. We are called to please and follow God, first. I believe that a ‘people pleasing’ spirit is birthed out of fear, a fear of being rejected. My fear of rejection came from being verbally abused by people close to me. However, Christ revealed to me in scripture that his love is perfect and steady and it does not change." There is no fear in love but perfect love drives out fear".
We don't have to live in that fear of rejection anymore. We can be free from that and operate in the security of being who God made us to individually be. God made all very unique with different personalities, thoughts, dreams and desires and dreams and even opinions. It is ok to be who we are and not base our opinions on what we believe others want us to be. As long as we are following the will of God for our lives, than we are pleasing him and that is all that matters.
By pleasing God we are being true to ourselves. We don't have to sacrifice our comfort or peace anymore. When we sacrifice those two things we are only making ourselves unhappy. To truly assess what God wants for our lives, we have to renew our minds so that we will know his will and we want conform to what the world is doing or wants (Romans 12:2) Ask God to help you be bold for him. Trust God with the plan he has for your life. I asked God to forgive me for putting others before him and I asked him to help me speak up for myself in accordance to His will; I have gotten much better. These days, my voice is shaking some, but I feel it getting stronger with each chance I choose to be assertive. Will you allow your voice to shake some?
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