Giving Up On Good: Being Liked

I've so enjoyed this series; reading about the good things that women are giving up on in order to have something better has been so encouraging and inspiring! Seeing a group of women chase after God's heart is a beautiful thing.

This was my conversation with the Lord this morning:

"Jesus, what 'good thing' do I need to give up on in order to have something better, to have your best for me?"

Silence. Silence

"God?"
Then I felt the Holy Spirit whisper "being liked."
(its like he was waiting for me to be ready to hear that)

The amazing thing about Jesus is that he knows us. Inside and out. The things other people don't know and can't challenege me in becase I dont let them into that part of me....Jesus can because I can't hide anything from him. He already knows. And when you ask a question like I did, it's like opening up the door of your heart, where the best and worst of you resides, and saying "come in Jesus, what would you like to rearrange in here?"

Being Liked. Don't we all want to be liked and accepted? Yes. It's human nature. Part of community and relationships. I've always wanted this a little too much, though. I don't like conflict, I don't like to offend people or put them off or say anything that is hard for them to swallow or disagrees with their thoughts, because I want to be liked.

The more I mentor/disciple students and the more people God brings to my door step to speak into their lives, to counsel, or give advice to, the more I realize how much this desire to be liked is detremental to me and the things God has asked me to do. Jesus keeps putting me in stituations that require me to tell people the hard things, to say things that they might not want to hear, that might rub them wrong, etc....but for the good of them!

Just in the past two weeks, I've had like 5 of these experiences! And its good, so so good. But, difficult!

2 Timothy 1:2 says Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and encourage...

I am REALY good at encouraging. I have got that down like no one's business. I even encourage in my sleep. But, correct and rebuke? I'm not so sure about those. I don't like those ones. Picking and choosing what we want and don't want of Jesus is not an option. It's all or nothing.

So, I am giving up on being liked to be something better, to be something more frutiful for the Kingdom of God. To be more like Jesus, to do what he's put in front of me, to be the woman that he's calling me to step up and be. To challenge, to even correct and rebuke (with love). It might offend someone, it might rub someone the wrong way, it might be hard to swallow, but I'd rather be obedient and pleasing to God than pleasing to people.