and has now come when the true worshipers will worship
the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the
kind of worshipers the Father seeks." - John 4:23
My Heavenly Daddy is healing
me from the inside out.
Transparency is Real.
Many times painful.
Daddy let me be secure in You only!
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
BE YOURSELF
I am beginning to understand that God created me ONLY to be me!!! Not you, not she, not thee, but me!!!
The countless years of being a chameleon, so to speak, with pleasing people in order to be accepted are on their way out! I know I have my work cut out, as it will not be easy....but determination, individualism, freedom, purpose are only a few things that push me towards the promise of my healing!!!!
I am so very tired of having to be someone else just to get my fix in order to feel good about who I am and to be accepted! A very very debilitating sick lifestyle to say the least. To always have a plan in order when in the presence of individuals that I wanted to please was so draining!!
Doing things that "I DID NOT WANT or CARE TO DO" in the first place, but did because I wanted to be liked, loved, accepted, important. You name it, I did it.
Went into serious financial debt, not once, but twice, because I tried to buy "love and acceptance." Smoked, drinked, swore, lied, ate, dressed the same just to be accepted. Being a chauffeur at all hours, maid, housekeeper, cook (I laugh at that, because I am not), run favors, be available 24/7, being taken advantage of, brainwashed, paying someones way i.e. schooling, car payments, electric bills, etc., etc.
What a price to pay, huh?
I remember many a time hating what I had become. The emotional hurt when I did NOT live up successfully to the standards of the people that I was trying to please!! But, I was so damn hooked into this type of lifestyle, I saw no escape. But God did. Even back then. Yeah, He helped me through it, but not until recently have I understood the sickness of it all! God got me out of many real and sometimes scary situations because I would not say "no."
I am fed up and sick and tired of it now! That is why I want so desperately to be detached from this stronghold in getting my fix from other people's lives! Tired, tired, tired!!
I DESIRE SO MUCH THAT I GAIN MY SELF WORTH ONLY FROM THE LORD!
So this devotional from Joyce Meyer is very timely and encouraging for me, and I am sure for any of us. As we are always a "work in progress."
Are you tired of playing games, wearing masks or trying to be someone other than yourself? Wouldn't you like the freedom to just be accepted for who you are, without the pressure to be someone you really don't know how to be? Would you like to learn how to embrace your uniqueness and resist the pull to be like everyone else? God knew what He was doing when He made you. You are a unique individual—God created you the way you are! It's time that we dare to accept ourselves as different and stop being insecure about who we are.
If you’re going to overcome insecurities and be the person God’s called you to be, you must have the courage to be different. Unhappiness and frustration happen when we reject our uniqueness and try to be like each other. If you’re going to be successful at being completely you, then you’re going to have to take a chance on not being like everyone else. You must ask yourself, Am I a people pleaser or a God pleaser?
Becoming a people pleaser is one of the easiest things we can do...but it can ultimately make us very unhappy. When we begin pleasing others, we begin to hear comments that make us feel good about ourselves. That’s okay as long as we don't derive our sense of worth from it. People are too fickle for us to place our sense of worth in their opinions. We’re worth something because God says we're worth something—not because of what people think or say about us.
People pleasers allow others to control their lives in order to gain acceptance and approval. But God doesn't want us to be easily manipulated or controlled by others. We shouldn't let other people's opinions of us control our actions.
At the same time, we must walk in love. We can't just do anything we want, whenever we want, with total disregard for the feelings of others. We can't say, "I'm going to do this, and if you don't like it, that's tough—that's your problem!" The Bible commands us to love others, and love doesn't behave that way. However, we must not allow people to manipulate and control us to the point that we’re never free to be who we are. If we do, we’ll always try to become the person we think others expect us to be.
The world (those we know and deal with on a daily basis who may be family, friends, people in the neighborhood or even in the church) is continually trying to conform us to its image. The word conform means "to be similar in form or character; to behave in accordance with prevailing modes or customs.” Romans 12:2 says, Do not be conformed to this world (this age),…but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind…It’s then that we find the good and acceptable will of God for our lives.
People will always try to fit us into their mold, partly due to their own insecurity. It makes them feel better about what they are doing if they can get someone else to do it too. Very few people have the ability to be who they are and let everybody else be who they are. Can you imagine how nice the world would be if we would all do that? Each person would be secure in who he is and let others be who they are. We would not have to try to be imitations of each other.
God wants to take us, with all our weaknesses and inabilities, and transform us, by working from the inside out, to do something powerful in this earth. If we’re going to overcome insecurities and succeed at being ourselves, we can't continue to be afraid of what everybody else may think. We can't continue to allow others to fit us into their mold. We are different! We are unique! God created us this way to accomplish His purposes here on earth.
From the book New Day, New You: 365 Devotions for Enjoying Everyday Life by Joyce Meyer. Copyright © 2007 by Joyce Meyer. Published by FaithWords. All rights reserved.
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Powerful devotional! Truthful words that God only intended us all to be our own selves. Glad you are working through this part of your trial also.
ReplyDeleteHi Real Friend. Always blessed to read your post...even when tears and pain are involved. Today, I posted something almost similar. God bless and keep YOURSELF up and going. He loves you.
ReplyDelete"I am beginning to understand that God created me ONLY to be me!!! Not you, not she, not thee, but me!!!"
ReplyDeleteIf you, my dear, can put the ideation to words then you are not beginning to understand but you have come to know.
You are MY own handiwork, MY workmanship, recreated in Christ Jesus, born anew that you may do those good. I predestined you, taking paths which I prepared ahead of time that you should walk in them–living the good life which I prearranged and made for you to live.
ReplyDeleteGod Bless.
we were never meant to be anyone else but ourselves. to figure out who that 'ourselves' is, takes time though, wading through the muddied water churned up by other and ourselves...
ReplyDeleteI'm glad that you are able to keep moving forward knowing that you don't have to do anything anymore to be accepted. Because there is One Who had loved and accepted you first. For Who you are. His love is truly faithful and I'm glad that it is His nature. Blessings.
ReplyDeleteJBR,
ReplyDeleteWhat a great Post! I love the picture,too.
Blessings,
Tammy
Sweetie a wonderful post. I see the strength in your determination to finish the race. Be patient. God is in it with you.
ReplyDeleteI not only agree with WALKIN MAN but learned to get aware of the statement often heard: "Be Paula, everyone else is taken." Hugs
ReplyDeleteIt is a joyous place to just be me! I can't say I do not still struggle, but I can say...I have come a long way and I like being ME! You will, too.
ReplyDeleteBlessings, andrea
Thanks for this post. I can relate. I'm only beginning now to see all the ways I have done the same thing. Sometimes, awareness dawns slowly.
ReplyDeleteYou'll heal so much faster when you are just you..just Real.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing.
A good way to start the new year!!
ReplyDeleteGod is proud of you, and so am I!! You're breaking through!! God is right there for you! Continue to hold on to His unchanging hand!!
ReplyDeleteBlessings
This is right on with what I've been hearing this morning while blog-hopping. I think with the New Year fast approaching, it's a good time to decide to like ourselves, and to celebrate our individuality. I'll start with this..."I like myself!" There. I dare you to do the same. (To like yourself, not me).
ReplyDeleteDearest JBR, we share something very big! I now know that through the perverted things that were done to me as a child and then being "thrown away" like garbage have weighed on my shoulders all of my life. Not always being "liked" meant, to me, rejection. Even the most casual of friendships, or even people that I didn't really know could hurt me deeply simply by not liking me, or giving me the chance to prove that I was worthy of being liked. I am still struggling, but with God as my anchor, where there was none before; just a tiny ship caught in a perfect storm where nothing was ever settled, or certainly the same thing even twice. I am still healing, even if nobody knows it but me, and I know that in time, I will conquer my demons.
ReplyDeleteMuch love and blessings,
Abbey
One phrase that keeps coming back to me - "you alone, are enough." And, you are. Just being you - it's enough.
ReplyDeleteThank you for remaining so honest and open with your life with us. We all can learn something.
ReplyDelete"I have never been aware before how many faces there are. There are quantities of human beings, but there are many more faces, for each person has several." Ranier Maria Rilke
ReplyDeleteTo be, rather than appear to be!!
To know I am loved and accepted by God as I am, really know this deep down so I can just be.
Wishing you a blessed New Year!!!
Very good devotional...that picture was perfect for this....
ReplyDelete