Digging Deeper: God Writes a Better Story

I’m certain that, at some point, you have walked through hard times, been hurt by someone you love, or struggled with forgiveness. But have you ever felt like you emotionally hurt yourself? Is there something you need to forgive yourself for?

I’m a people pleaser. I want everyone around me to be happy. I want to always do what’s best for my family, my kids, my students, and my co-workers. Sometimes, to maintain peace, I ignore how I feel about something. I won’t say the thing I know I need to say. I stay silent, and unintentionally, I end up hurting myself.

You see, what happens is that staying silent begins to harbor resentment—resentment that others didn’t see things the way I did, that no one else felt uncomfortable or spoke out, or, better yet, that no one acknowledged how frustrated I was. And that hurts.

In yesterday’s Digging Deeper, I wrote about how I’ll never get back those 13 years with my mom—13 years that we could have been so much closer if we had just addressed the unspoken truth.

But what I do know is that, in every instance, God has used those parts of my story—those past hurts and people-pleasing moments—to point me back to Him. I’m thankful that we can learn from those setbacks and mistakes every day.

When you help maintain peace, even after someone has hurt you, like Romans 12:17 says, you are being honorable: “Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable.” By doing so, you bring honor to God and not vengeance to others.

I pray that as you walk into today, you put away your people-pleasing tendencies. Look others in the eye, listen to their words, and have the bravery to maintain peace while also saying how you feel. Don’t let your years be wasted. Let your hurts become a part of your story that points others back to Christ.