I’ve started doing Living Beyond Yourself, a Bible study by the lovely Beth Moore about cultivating the fruits of the Spirit. I’m only on day two and I’ve been in this study for, um, like a week and a half, but it has some good stuff!
Galatians 1:10 is on my heart this week:
Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.
How spot on is this?? It’s good to want to serve others and see them happy, but God does not call us to make other feel comfortable or please them. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve tried to “change” myself momentarily depending on who I’m hanging out with… I’ve been much better about it in the past couple years as I’m learning (ever so slowly) to find my identity in Christ.
All I can do is be myself in Christ. That’s what Paul did, and he had quite a calling on his life. He had no choice. As a former persecutor of Christians, it was all or nothing for him. I daresay his encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus jolted him out of his old ways and he stopped pleasing other like, yesterday. Well, technically, 2,000-some years ago. But whatev.
I am doing my very best to wait on the Lord… I want to take steps in different directions, but I want to wait on Him to close or open doors (ugh that phrase sounds so trite sometimes!). Basically, I want Him to just tell me in plain Elizabeth what the heck to do with my life. I mean, I know I’m supposed to love Him and love others, but…. how?
My desire as I pray now is to be patient and come to Him with problems and issues first… discuss things with Him first… strive to please Him first, and only.
