Friday, January 3, 2014

Living up to others expectations

Hi blog friends! How are the each of you?? I've been good, just enjoying my last few days of winter break. It's been a blessing having so much time to relax lately.

However, I feel that God has put on my heart more than ever lately just how much I measure myself based on other people's expectations of me. Whether I am thinking about how many "likes" I am getting on an Instagram post, or wondering if others around me happen to notice the new type of clothing that I am wearing...it seems that I am always comparing myself to others perspective's of me. This isn't how it should be, and I really feel like God is trying to make it clear to me right now in my life that He wants me to simply focus on who I am in Him. That's all that matters anyway.

"When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise."
2 Corinthians 10:12

Why is it so amazingly easy to take our focus off of who we are in Christ, and become concerned with how others see us? I think its because thats the way the enemy gets in our heads and tells us to think. He whispers lies to us like "your defined by how others see you" or "it doesn't matter who you are in Christ." It's all a bunch of lies, and we need to tell the enemy to back off! God calls us to STAND OUT and not think like this world anyway. In Him, we are called to develop a very unique, yet extremely powerful thinking pattern.

"Don't copy the behaviors and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect."

Romans 12:2

So my friends, I encourage you to be bold today and have a Christ-like mind. Stand firm against the enemy, and pray that the Lord would give you discernment and strength to think of yourself only based off of who you are in Christ.

Is it easy for you to give into thinking of yourself based on how the world defines you? Do you often forget who you are in Christ? Do you get caught up in impressing others or living up to others expectations like I often do?

I love you guys!
Love always, Jess

7 comments:

  1. I LOVE Romans 12:1-2. I'd never read 2 Corinthians 10:12 before today but I love it even though it hurts. I'm reminded over and over again as I keep seeking God that He alone is what matters. Not my wants, not my plans, not what I think. His character shapes His direction of my life, and it is His guidance alone to which we should look for strength and encouragement. He is all that matters!

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  2. Great post Jess!!! It really is easy to do but I think we are winning when we can catch ourselves in this thought process and realise that we are doing it! Because its better to realise it than to go on blindly!!! And knowing we are doing it leads to being able to change that - and all things are possible with God!!!! Thanks for the post. Definitely an area I am constantly working on!

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  3. Amen sister:) Love this!!! xxoo Katie

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  4. What a great reminder for the new year! It's easy to get so caught up in what others think of us that we lose sight of everything important. I heard someone say the other day that, "Each of us are three people: We are who others think we are, we are who we think we are and we are who God says we are." This year I want to focus less on the first two and more on who God says I am. The Bible tells us that we are fearfully and wonderfully made, and that we are created for a purpose. It's tragic how many of us miss out on our God-given purpose because we give in to the pressure to become someone we were never created to be.

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  5. Thanks for sharing, something I needed to read!
    XO, Jennie
    http://thediaryofarealhousewife.blogspot.com/

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