Who Does God Say You Are?

I don’t know about you, but I feel like I am constantly trying to find admiration in everything I do. I want people to notice and acknowledge me, and I feel like I have been this way all my life. If you read my first blog, “Who Are You”, you learned a bit of my back story… if you haven’t read it.  Go check it out! 

Anyway, I love being seen and loved by people. I want them to acknowledge all the good things I am doing and really tell me who I am. This falls back a lot into my personality.  If you’re an enneagram junkie, I am a 7-the Enthusiast.  AKA: “The Life of the Party”, AKA: “The People Pleaser”.  It is human nature to want validation from people, but I quickly learned that it doesn’t always work the way you want it to.  You often don’t get the words you need, when you need them, and anything that you want to hear isn’t enough.  As a result, you just get let down. 

Growing up, I was always working toward perfection and recognition. I wanted to be seen past my disability, past my struggles and to just be seen. I wanted my mom to know that I was trying, because I also wanted HER approval of what I was doing.  I wanted to earn her approval by being who SHE wanted me to be. Honestly, I did this with everyone…There was only one that I didn’t try and “find” approval from, and that was from God. Until then, I had never sat down to explore who He wanted me to be and what He wanted me to do. I asked EVERYONE ELSE except my Creator, the one who made me for a purpose, the one who put me on this earth to make a difference, the one who calledme. 

Now, I can’t say that I have fully stepped away from finding validation in others.  It feels good to be recognized.  However, I can tell you that I have stopped asking others what they wanted for me. I had a “come to Jesus” moment after I didn’t get into a nursing program and a teaching program. I lifted my hands and said, “Fine!  I’ll stop planning what I want, and do what you want me to do!” That afternoon, I went to the ministry department at KCU (Kentucky Christian University) and registered for classes. See, I knew that God wanted me to minister to others.  He had called me to a greater purpose.  But instead of listening, I sought out what others wanted.  I think most of us struggle with this.  We want a clear answer, we want it written in the clouds for us, or even better to come down from heaven to tell us His purpose for us.  However, God doesn’t do that, and I believe it’s for two reasons. 

1. “In their hearts, humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.” (Proverbs 16:9 NIV). We can choose our plans, but God will ALWAYS get us where He wants us. He doesn’t want to control us, but simply use us where we are for his Will. 

What I have learned over my “many” years of life… but really my years of seeking and finding validation from others is that NO man or woman should tell you who to be or what to do. Yes, God will use others to speak truth into your next steps on where He may want you, but those people should not be your sole reason for changing the trajectory of your life! 

Take time to seek where God wants you. Take time building your relationship with Him so that when the time comes you can use your free will to make a decision that God has designed for you, and you only!