“You are coming to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God’s temple. He was rejected by people, but he was chosen by God for great honor.” 1 Peter 2:4 NLT
Have you found yourself in a situation where you are getting an array of opposing responses from your world? That is, you get different reactions for doing the same thing.
I experience this sometimes, and it reminds me of the story of a man and his son who took their donkey on a journey. When the man and his son both rode on the donkey, some passersby, made rude remarks, saying they were burdening the animal. Then the man decided to step down and let his son ride. Other passersby criticized the boy, calling him disrespectful and lacking proper upbringing.
So, the son stepped down and let his father ride, only for the father to be judged as a mean man who cared little for his child. At that point, they both decided to walk, but were mocked for not making use of the donkey as a beast of burden. Then something surprising happened (at least to me): they both decided to carry the donkey. I’ll leave you to make your own remarks. 😊
Bottom line: You cannot please everyone. When you try to, you risk losing your sanity.
In life, we are all on a journey which God expects us to enjoy. To get the best out of our lives, we must live with purpose and intentionality.
As an adult, you must be able to answer these questions to some degree:
- What is God calling you to?
- What are you supposed to do now? Not yesterday, or tomorrow, but today?
- Who are you trying to impress in your life? Others, yourself or God? If others, who exactly?
Your life’s path and outcome will be shaped by your answers.
Let your answer be God-centered and your life will be enriching and meaningful.
Sometimes, when I take a decision, some people would say, I am hard, others may say I am wicked, while I would describe myself as diplomatic. These responses reflect the perspectives of those observing.
At other times, people say I make bold and risky moves, while others think I am reckless and thoughtless. I would say I have faith.
While nurturing relationships and friendships over here, I may lose some over there because not everyone in my life will receive the same amount of attention.
You get the picture. And yes, this is my reality. I am comfortable with this because if God is at the center, if pleasing God is my goal, then I am on track. Even when I make mistakes, God knows my intentions and guides me back on track. In that sense, I am always winning.
Sometimes people expect you to behave a certain way and will struggle when you do not meet those expectations. They may not understand that you are doing your best. They forget that you are human, just like them. Being human comes with limitations for everyone of us.
You cannot do everything or be everything to everyone.
The truth is this:
Peace is not found in being understood by everyone.
It is found in being aligned with God.
In Part 2, we’ll talk about how to live from that place with clarity, boundaries, and confidence in who God has called you to be.