Moving Beyond Where I Am StuckSýnishorn

DAY FOUR: Break out of the mold.

Without realizing it, we can slip into a habit of people-pleasing that crosses the line from simply wanting to be helpful to sacrificing who we are and our own freedom in order to win their approval. What starts with a small favor we do for a friend can turn into us reshaping our lives around what they think is best and, in the process, we lose our ability to be honest and vulnerable for fear of their rejection. We end up molding ourselves into what we think they consider to be good or worthy and we lose sight of the truth that God calls us good and worthy for no other reason than Jesus made it so when He died on the cross and rose again.

The truth is, as Galatians 1:6-10 clearly outlines for us, when we submit to the approval of other people, we are actually submitting to what they call good instead of what God calls good. The two are not the same and you cannot work to please people and God at the same time. When we’re living to please God, that’s when we tap into a lasting hope and eternal life. Anything else will fall short.

The good news about God is that He not only takes away the mold, but He also offers a yoke that is easy and a burden that is light. He takes all complications out and even compares it to operating from faith like a child. Not only is this freeing for us, but in turn, we also set the people around us free from having to live up to whatever mold they try to fit in to please us. When we point it all back to Jesus, that’s when we realign our path to His' and go even further beyond.

Is there someone whose expectations you are trying to live up to instead of living for what is pleasing to God? What have you started to value that won’t last forever?