Fitting In
“Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.”
Psalms 139:14 NLT
http://bible.com/116/psa.139.14.nlt
““I have spoken these things to you so that My joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.”
John 15:11 HCSB
http://bible.com/72/jhn.15.11.hcsb
I heard on K-LOVE the other day that a survey revealed 2 out of 3 adults feel like they don’t fit in. My first thought was that if 2 out of 3 adults don’t feel like they fit in that leaves 1 that does feel like they fit in, and what are they fitting in to? One? Lol
It’s the way my mind works. Seriously though, I have a history growing up of feeling like I didn’t fit in. When I was in grade school I would be the last to be picked in recess team games. In sports I was a bench warmer. At church dances as a teen, I was a wall flower, standing in the corneir against the wall watching everyone else have fun. As I’ve grown up, physically and more importantly, spiritually, I’ve learned that this is self pity and not necessary. When I look back in my life I see things with a better perspective, which helps me focus correctly in the present.
The big question that I’ve learned to ask myself is, who am I living for? Others? Myself? God?
If I choose the first I will get hurt and will never be able to make everyone happy all the time. Which in itself makes a person miserable and depressed.
If I live for the second, I get an attitude, one of selfish, self deserving, self serving, entitlement. Which in turn makes one miserable and depressed.
See a pattern here?
Then there’s the 3rd. When living for God, there’s a satisfaction, peace, grace, love, joy. My choice is the third! Of course I’m not perfect and I turn to the other two choices more than I like to admit. But like anything else, practice, commitment, accountability, consistency all play an important roll. Prayer is the key, focusing on what our Heavenly Father wants, says, and leads. Purposely filling our lives with good things, music, tv, friends, surroundings as much as we have control of ourselves is a huge help. All bathed in prayer, constantly.
So 2 out of 3? If all 3 are in Gods will, they all can be totally separate yet all fit in! That’s how God works! Where do you stand?
Reminder, we can know we are specially made by God! He designed us as we are, unique and wonderfully created. At the same time we must remember all others are unique and wonderfully created as well. For God made all of us!
Our sinfulness is a different blog, and between us and God, personal. As His child, we live by grace. By keeping this in perspective, we can live for Christ!! With joy and peace!!
Remember, fitting in is not the answer! Resting in God’s loving arms is!