Leaning Into God
There were plenty of times in my years of school when I felt I did not fit in. The way the other kids spoke and what they liked to do was quite different from me. I couldn’t really connect with them and never felt fully accepted by them no matter how much I tried to fit in. I still would not act on such things like smoke, vape, drink, cuss a lot, or say inappropriate comments, etc. Now, it sounds weird that a difference in the way of living would be a problem, yet most every kid wonders why they aren’t satisfied with certain friendships involving the people around them. Most of the time you can just feel stuck with people because you go to school with them. You want friends so you figure why not try to engage in what others do. How about instead of trying to fit in and be accepted anyway you can, just embrace standing out! It will be like a weight is lifted off your shoulders, since your mindset can switch from: “why don’t they like me” to “I don’t need them to like me.” I encourage you to always be yourself and eventually you will find the right environment to grow in. But until that time comes, you need to let God grow what He needs to in your life. This only happens when you resist trying to please others or be like them. In addition, do not try to resist the work God is wanting to do in you and your life. By going through the everyday struggle of dealing with being left out or misunderstood, God may be trying to grow:
your confidence in Him and who He made you to be
your trust in Him and His plan for you
your need to find security in God’s intentions and not anyone else’s
Will you work with Him to carry this out in your life to help you become a stronger and more confident version of yourself? To begin to grow in each of those areas, you first need to learn God’s word and stand on it. Learn what your Creator says about you and the promises He makes to you. God is so gracious that He not only had His Son give His life to save you, but He also left a book here for you to read and get to know Him better. You do not have to get to know Him only during the bad times and the trials of life. God is always right there with you, waiting for you to get to know who He is. It is a beautiful thing that you can learn more of the goodness of who He is by just sitting in His Word. God has shown how He has worked so many things out for different people and their lives in the Bible. He wants you to know and experience His love and acceptance, which reveals His intentions.
When you learn to lean on God and His intentions, you will not waiver with anyone else’s.
Stand on God’s Word as you learn to stand out for who He has made you to be!
It won’t matter why those people don’t see you for who you are, why they don’t like you, or why they may make fun of/speak bad about you. What matters the most is that you know God sees you, loves you for who you are, and has a plan for your life! Being a child of God is a privilege, but it comes with responsibility. No part of the Bible explains the Christian walk as being an easy one, but it is so worth it! Jesus says in John 16:33, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” When you turn away from the things of this world and do what is pleasing to God, you can expect persecution. However, doing the right thing is what will matter forever in the Kingdom of God. God will honor and reward you for being His (Romans 2:6,10). Isn’t that crazy that the God and Creator of the universe will honor YOU when you are made to honor Him?! He is so beyond gracious!
When you walk with God, meditate on His word, and speak to Him about your struggles, you will find that your focus turns from your hurt to your Healer.
While you learn to lean on God, your heart gets patched up and transformed by Him. You learn that He guards your heart (Philippians 4:7), that He is your comfort (Isaiah 66:13), and that He is your defense (Exodus 14:14). He promises to never leave or forsake you (Deuteronomy 31:8). In addition, when you lean into what God is teaching you through your circumstance, and what He promises, you realize that we are not made to be compared. Our personalities and the way our lives pan out is not meant to be compared to others. The people we compare ourselves to do not give us, or our lives, meaning and purpose. Only God can do that! Think about the fact that God took only 6 days to make nature and the creation you see around you, but with each human He takes months to knit together! Psalm 139:13-14 states, “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.” We are made to be unique while being uniquely used by God (Ephesians 2:10). That’s right! God has a specific purpose that He can do only through YOU. Therefore, you can begin to see each difficulty as a way of God preparing and growing you for what He will use you for. Even when life gets difficult, always remember that God takes what the enemy means for evil and turns it for good (Genesis 50:20)! So trust that God is intentionally growing you, despite what others may see or think, and watch how confident you become as you learn to lean into Him always!
