My Biggest Fear: That people won’t like me or accept me for who I am.
How I combat it: I used to really let this fear bother me so much that it would affect how I came into contact with people and how I communicated with them. If I wanted to make a new friend or hang out with people that I really liked (and wanted them to like me too) I would get shy and a little withdrawn and way too self conscious. I kept thinking about what I should or shouldn’t do, or what I should or shouldn’t say. If I thought that I said or did something wrong I worried for hours or days of what other people might be thinking about me. It was ridiculous and unnecessary. This led to insecurities which affected my confidence. The Lord helped me to realize that this was a trick of the enemy. I prayed with a friend and she helped me to confess truth over myself (scriptures in the Bible of what God says about me).
The Lord has really helped me to overcome so much of people pleasing. I realized that there are people who like me for who I am. Friends who don’t make me feel like I need to be like someone else for them to like me. People who like me for who I am (faults, failures, clumsiness, dorkiness and all) are true friends and true gifts. I realized that if someone doesn’t like me for who I am then it doesn’t mean that I
need to change to please them. It doesn’t mean that I need to change to get them to like me. It just means that I need to continue to be who God made me to be. That is where I find freedom. “Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.” Galatians 1:10
I constantly worried about what other people were thinking or might be saying about me and my mind was not really focused on God. It was cluttered and not at peace. This led to confusion and then I started to lose my focus and question my identity and purpose.
"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." Philippians 4:8 NIV
If someone does not like me for who I am, I am going to be ok. My mind does not need to be focused on what someone might think or what someone might say because odds are it’s just a distraction that might not ever happen. The reality is that my fears and insecurities are lies of the enemy. The moment I am consumed with these unhealthy thoughts, I am a prisoner of people pleasing. But Christ died to set me free.
What is
MY
BIGGEST
Fear
How do I
combat it?
&
Heidi