The Good Girl Book Club Week 1 #thesamepage

  

Since before I can remember, I have never liked to disappoint people. I've always been a rule follower and have never liked to rock the boat. But somewhere along the way, I let that attitude of pleasing people become a measuring stick of people liking me. I began to believe as long as I did everything as I should ... be a good student, be a good friend, be a good employee ... then people would like me. So I worked and worked at trying to do everything just as it should be and if I knew I might not be good at something, I didn't try it. If I wasn't good at it, then I would fail, and if I failed, then people wouldn't like me. I became a perfectionist and found it difficult to comprehend when someone appeared to like me simply for me and not what I could do for them.

"When you reject me, be it real or perceived, I ponder and defend inside my head. And the fear wins a little more of my heart until I discover I am stuck by it, unable to move beyond it." ~Emily P. Freeman

Can I say I've completely conquered this fear of rejection ... no, I can't, but I'm continuing to learn that not everyone is going to like me and that's ok. God continues to teach me I shouldn't let others' opinions keep me from following His will. Maybe I'll succeed and maybe I won't and someone might think what I try is smart and someone might think it's stupid, but none of that matters because in the end, it's all about obeying. Did I do what He wanted me to do? Sometimes obeying means your plans will fail at least by human standards because it's not about success or failure. It's about who God is shaping you to become ... ultimately more like Him.

Pick up a copy of Emily P. Freeman's Grace for the Good Girl and join the club---link up every Thursday!