ALLOWING ME {Day 9 Redux} I GIVE UP...again

It’s still Day 9….long day. But I am still thinking about giving up.

First, I need to clarify something. I am not being flippant when I use the phrase “giving up.” Depression and I have waged many battles, and I know how it feels to want to give up truly and completely. If you are there right now, please know that I can empathize with your feelings.

One of the weapons depression brings is telling me I am responsible for making other people feel better. I’m not talking about being rude or uncaring. I am talking about being a pleaser.

Certainly we all have people to whom we are responsible. Partners, children, parents, friends, family. But that isn’t what I mean either.

Sometimes we attempt to please people for unhealthy reasons. Lack of self-esteem, fear, learned habits, an unnatural feeling of responsibility.

There are a hundred scenarios…but if you allow yourself to be a pleaser, read this truth:

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb…
My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth…all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. (Psalm 139)

The Creator of universe also created me. From the beginning of time, there was a plan for my life. A plan that maximizes my gifts, that expands the world, that is meant only for my good and the glory of the Creator.

Same for your life.

Do you have trouble believing that?

How about these words:

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you…” (Jer 1)

It is my determined intent to give up trying to make people happy at the expense of knowing and honoring who I am and the purpose God has for me.

I don’t mean to imply my life is bad. But I do this. 

Sometimes I do not ALLOW myself to say NO.

Sometimes I do not ALLOW myself to rest.

Sometimes I do not ALLOW myself to listen to my heart/head.

How about you? Any place in your life you would do well to give up the tendency to be a pleaser in such a way that it stifles who you are?

My determined intent…meaning it won’t happen overnight.

My determined intent…meaning I will still wrestle with guilt at times.

My determined intent to be who God created me to be – loving, kind, caring, helpful all the while.

My determined intent to give up being anything outside of the person the Creator of the universe sees in me.

We will talk about giving up again tomorrow… so much more good stuff!

See you then,

Beth

I am participating in a 31 Day blog challenge. My topic is Allowing Me… You can see preceding days below this blog. You can see other bloggers here.

Beth Painter is, among many other things, a writer and motivational speaker. You can follow her on Facebook on the “Think Big focus small” page.

Beth is available to speak to your group about how to make your dreams and desires come to life!