Princess Unaware Week Four

Why are other Princesses so difficult?  (y'all perked up on that one didn't you? so did I)

During our quiet time aren't we soooo confident in our relationship with God and we think we have it all down pat?  Then we run into our peers and most, if not all of it, flies out the window.  Yes, even me.  I'm not big into makeup, I hardly wear it, and the latest fashions? Please!  I am no longer a string bean and NO ONE wants to see me in skinny jeans!  But get me around certain people....and most are people from church....and I'm pulling at my hair and clothes and making sure all of the hair in my eyebrows are lying flat.  Why?!?  We could blame it on society as a whole or the media, but what we need to do is remind ourselves who we are in Christ and realize that what people see on the outside isn't important.  Don't get me wrong, I still think you should bathe and look the best that you can, but do not worry about it past that.  As long as you are giving your best in ALL that you do, that is all that God asks of us.

Ok, so I've gotten over what the mirror tells me....mostly.  But now here comes the people pleasing or peer pressure angst.  I am a people pleaser to the bone.  I want to make everyone happy at all times.  And I have asked myself why a lot.  Because I want everyone to be happy so that there is no fighting or back biting, but also, if I were to be perfectly honest, so that everyone will like me.  I would have not wasted thousands of hours of my life if I would have listened to Abraham Lincoln.  You CANNOT please everyone, to paraphrase Abe, it is impossible and you'll only making yourself miserable trying.  The only one we are to work hard to please at all times is God....that's it!  But let me caution you that that doesn't mean you must volunteer for every opportunity at church.  God gifted each one of us specifically so, first of all, you are not going to fit into every volunteer opportunity.  Secondly, even Jesus rested and didn't heal everyone!  If you wear yourself down and make yourself sick by doing way too much, then you aren't good to anyone, especially yourself.  Prayerfully consider the things you should do for the Kingdom.

Criticism and judging, yikes!  Not to be stereotypical, but it is slightly true, when I moved to the South, I learned that some people will criticize you to your face but preface it with "bless your heart" to make it sound like they are trying to be nice.  At least where I come from people talk behind your back!  Just kidding....although not much.  But again if I am going to be perfectly honest, I judge people on first impressions or one thing that they do without getting to know them.  That is a form of criticism that we are all guilty of.  Sometimes it sneaks up on me before I realize it and I can even shock myself at some things I instantly think about someone.  In the past I would just move on and not give that a second thought.  Now I'll stop and ask myself why I thought that and try to work it out in my head asking myself did I get to know this person, etc.  I'm still very much a work in progress in this area!

Three paragraphs yet I feel like that was an awful lot!  I need to focus on these things myself.  We're going to be looking at ourselves a lot more in the weeks to come, I hope you'll stick with me!

Until Next Time.....
Franny