Reflections of a Believer
Isn’t it funny how one weekend can yield so many lessons? This past weekend was chock full of lessons for me. Over the next few posts, I will share what I gleaned. For today, I’m going to be very transparent.
I am a people pleaser. All my life, I have tried to look, act, and speak a specific way—all to please others. I often find myself worrying about how others perceive me, even when their opinions are not relevant.
Each year our church puts on a passion play. This year, during my part, I goofed up my lines. I was focused on looking towards the crowd and forgot my line. All of a sudden, I froze, said sorry, and then continued.
I was so disappointed in myself. Of course, I did it correctly the first service, but not when it was recorded for the whole world to see. I stewed on this fact all day.
Then in prayer, I heard Romans 8:1 playing in my head over and over. “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,”
Now, I would love to say I listened as soon as I heard this Word, but I did not. I still beat myself up about messing up. Then it hit me like a ton of bricks. I was more concerned with what the world was going to think about a 30-second performance than I was with accepting the peace of God.
Talk about a hard-hitting truth. For almost 48 hours, I chose to be miserable. And yes, it was a choice. I chose what to focus on. Each time the performance entered my mind, I rolled it over and over. Instead of meditating on Romans 8:1, I choose to meditate on what I had done wrong and then dreaded, “What will people think?” I had a choice, and for a while I chose wrong.
The Bible gives us a clear outline for what we should be thinking upon in Philippians 4:8 NIV. It states, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”
The truth is, we have control over our own mind. We can choose to redirect our thoughts or we can choose to dwell on them. Either way, how we approach a thought determines how much control it has over us. This, I have had to learn the hard way.
See, although I wish my performance would have been perfect, I am thankful for the revelation I received because of this experience. I am thankful I have a loving God that will guide me (Psalms 32:8) and mold me (Isaiah 64:8) into my best self, if only I allow Him to.
Today I ask you, are you allowing God to work in your life? Are you listening when you hear the nudging of the Holy Spirit? Or, are you like me and need a little extra nudging to see the truth God has already given you?
Father,
We come to You today and thank You for Your grace and Your mercy. We give You all the glory. We pray You help us to recognize the nudging of the Holy Spirit and help us follow His leading. We pray we are more concerned with You and Your Word than how others see us. Father, please give us strength, endurance, peace, and a desire for more of You. Amen.
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