Growing up, both of my parents were teachers. I learned from an early age that I needed to do the best I could do. This produced several characteristics in me - some good and some not so good. Perfectionism was one of the bad things. Somehow I thought I had to be perfect. This has caused me some problems in my life. It made it hard for me to try new things or be creative because I was afraid I would not do a good enough job. Another thing that it taught me was to have those same high expectations of others. And that is not good either. God has been teaching me, through other people, to be more accepting of others and to love them just the way they are. What is funny is that I tend to have higher expectations of those people in my life that expected so much from me. Learning to accept them for who they are and even when they let me down has been a hard lesson for me. Because I remember all the pressure that was put on me and sometimes I still feel that pressure. As a girl, I worked hard for their acceptance and approval and love. Which brings up another area in my life that I have had to work on - not work to please other people but to live my life in such a way that it pleases God. That is what is important. God accepts me and values me just the way I am. He has enough love to not only love me but to love others through me and I need to be willing to be used as an instrument in order to allow that love to flow through me.
When we work on taking bad habits away - we should always be willing to allow God to work to instill in us the good characteristic that will take the place of the bad habits. Then we can have the Fruit of the Spirit in our lives. Only by allowing God to live through us are we able to let those bad habits go and develop healthy habits. I am so thankful that I don't have to do it by myself because I am so weak. But God is strong and is more than able to do a good work in me.
being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;
Philippians 1:6
We are weak, but He is strong.
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