Do Ya, Do Ya, Do Ya Like Me Yet?

²⁰ Good things happen to those who learn from their experiences, and the Lord blesses those who trust him.

To learn from our experiences, isn’t that what we are after? To process all that we do through the filter of holy obedience and redirect our rudder accordingly. It seems so easy, doesn’t it?  Then why do we find ourselves in the same circumstances, time and time again?

The Bible speaks a lot about having a teachable spirit, one example is 1 Peter 5:5 (ESV) :

5Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

We are back again, to humility vs pride. We are looking at having a demeanor that is able to take criticism as a tool.  A demeanor that begs for the Holy Spirit to enlighten to the dangers and the pitfalls of self, in every circumstance. Every, single, time we are faced with conflict – do we seek a higher perspective?  This is a teachable spirit.

For me, that means :

·      not arguing my point relentlessly, for the sake of unity- letting go.

·      not having to win every argument, for the sake of grace allowing other perspectives and ways to the finish line.

·      When a conflict is entered, I try to slow down and see where there is too much of “me” adding to the conflict.  If I can remove my buttons and triggers from the conflict, does the conflict become less tense?  -usually it does

·      For me, a personal experience that I have entered into time and time again is people pleasing.  I am learning how to be ok when people that don’t like me. I have been known to chase people down, trying to just get them to think better of me.  I have jumped through hoops of fire to please, and only found myself exhausted.

It is easiest for me to show how I have recently learned from my experiences and crafted a new, healthier path. Remember that I am a recuperating people pleaser…let’s look at accusations.  They are a funny thing, aren’t they?  They pierce the soul and shatter our hearts. After a set of unjust accusations, the old me would kick into high gear with my mad dog people pleasing skills. I would set out to show them how these beliefs of my character and nature weren’t true. Now, I let it go. With eyes focused on God,  I ask for Him to search my heart and show me any malignancy. I have to own, repent and change anything that is revealed to my heart, and the rest, just let it go.

Folks don’t like me, they even think horrible things of me. I am accountable to God alone.  My experiences have taught me that people pleasing exhausts me AND it exhausts the person I am trying to please.  Like a fly buzzing around their head with my words constantly tickling their ears, “Do you like me yet?  Do you like me yet? Do you like me yet?” Lord have mercy, I apologize now to those I buzzed around relentlessly! My mom has always told me, “People are going to think, and say, what they want about you- you have no control over it. Make sure it’s not true, and let it go.”.   My mom’s a wise woman, it took me 49 years to heed her advice and learn from my experiences.  Thanks mom and thank you God, for giving me so many chances to get it right- with you as my focus, seated on Your throne.  I tumble and toss down the altars I have put folks on as I tried to please them, ignoring you.

So what about you?  What experiences keep coming up, over and over?  What are you to learn from them? Good things will happen as we learn from the experience that keep coming up, the Bible promises!  So next time the “same old” problem pops up look at it as a classroom and ace the exam!!! 

Special hugs to all of my people pleasing peeps out there- I get you!  <3