Do You Have the Disease to Please?

3. I don’t want people to think me unreliable

This was another fear I struggled with. Having been raised with a strong sense of responsibility, it was one of the worst things you could accuse me of—right next to being a disappointment.

I look back and shake my head at times when I remember the incredible lengths I would go to so as to avoid being thought of as unreliable. Truth be told, while people may have found that admirable, most times it was unnecessary.

Having established these three components (and I am sure there are more, but these were my top 3), can we not immediately determine that the common element in them is the word “I”?

I don’t want to disappoint, I don’t want to be misunderstood, I don’t want people to think me unreliable.

Anytime there is a preoccupation with self we can safely say that pride is at play.

Pride

1 John 2:16 illustrates for us three root sins, to which all sin can be traced. One of them: the pride of life.

This year I have chosen five books to read  that will help me learn to be present. The first book I am reading is The Best Yes by Lysa TerKeurst.

As I read Chapter 1, I saw myself so clearly that it could almost be a biographical sketch of my own life.

The first steps I am taking to cure myself of this horrible disease are:

1. Humbly admit that not only can I not do it all, I wasn’t created to do it all

2. Become reacquainted with the purpose God has given me for my life

Dear sister, if you don’t have a vision for your life, there are plenty of people out there who will be happy to let you help them fulfill theirs. While it is not wrong to partner with others in accomplishing their vision, we must make sure that this activity is in line with the purpose we were created for. Otherwise we will simply become hamsters in a ball, purposelessly running in circles and accomplishing nothing of value.

3. Embrace the grace to be human.

Being human means I will fail. Being human means I will disappoint. Being human means I will be misunderstood. But having grace means that I can be OK with that, knowing that everyone around me has the same limitations.

At the end of the day, dear sister, it is far better to be free to accomplish the divine purpose I was created for than to please man.

Rosilind, a Pacific Northwest native, is a missionary living in Croatia and married to her Bosnian hero. Together they live in the country with their 2 active boys where she enjoys fruity candles and a hot cup of herbal tea on a blustery fall evening. She holds an Associates of Practical Theology and is passionate about discipling and encouraging women. Her passion for writing led her to author a number of books. She is the author of A Little R & R where she encourages women to find contentment in what God created them to be. She can also be found at these other places on a regular basis. You can follow her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Google +.