Monday, June 15, 2009

My Identity is in Christ


Robert and I had a talk last night about me and my people pleasing ways. It's so frustrating because much of what I do, I think, is to please others. I feel so torn all the time because of that. It's pretty sad. I can't help it, though. It's just part of who I am and what I struggle with. So, Robert and I were talking about what I can do to move past that. He told me that I'm going to have to make a CONSCIOUS effort daily to say it just doesn't matter what others think. He also reminded me to ask myself in every decision that I make: is this for Jesus, or to make others happy? I can never always make other people happy. And, ultimately, as long as I am following the Lord, it doesn't matter whether or not others are happy with my decisions. In fact, many times others won't be happy because following Jesus doesn't always make sense.
In my Bible study, we are memorizing Galatians 2:20. "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."
My identity is in Christ. My identity isn't in how much I please others, in my anxiety issues, in how much I am passionate about "natural living," my role as wife, mother, daughter, or any of that. My identity is in Christ. "The life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God."
I think, sometimes, that I feel like I have to do certain things to make Jesus love me more. That is NOT truth.

One thing that sticks out to me from my Bible study that someone said is "stop striving."

I think sometimes I focus on trying to be perfect so much that I miss the point.

1 comment:

Kari Hellums said...

great blog! very encouraging scripture!! all too often we worry about what others think when God is the ONLY one we should be pleasing...once that happens, everything else seems to fall into place. love you friend :)