Be More than the Person Everybody Thought You Were

Matthew 14:54-58—He came to his hometown and began to teach the people in their synagogue, so that they were astounded and said, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these deeds of power? Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all this?” And they took offense to him.  But Jesus said to them, “Prophets are not without honor except in their own country and in their own house.” And he did not do many deeds of power there, because of their unbelief.

Do you ever feel like living life is more about overcoming the expectations others have of you than really living into God’s purpose for you? One of my favorite songs begins with these lyrics: “I tried to so hard to be the person everybody thought I was/I pushed myself, and everyone, almost over the edge.”  So often, we confuse the voices of our family and friends for God’s voice and leadership.  Of course, that is not to say that God never speaks through family and friends, but often, our family and friends are far more limited in how they see us and what they expect of us.  God has a great plan in store—we only need courage to trust His infinite wisdom.  Jesus went through essentially the same thing during His time here on Earth—in fact, the main purpose of Him coming to Earth was to experience life as a human with all the same challenges, fears, and emotions we all do while at the same time preserving His deity.  In this passage, we see that Jesus, too, came from a community with expectations, and those expectations shaped the work He did there.  Like Jesus, we sometimes must heed the call to leave our homes so that we can do God’s work.  Sometimes, we must leave the comfort of what we know to fulfill our great purpose. Perhaps the very challenge of the change is what prepares us for the challenges of new experiences.

Today as you pray and meditate on His Word, praise God for His steadfastness in the midst of a chaotic world.  Pray for wisdom and insight as He prepares you for the continual changes life presents.  Open your heart to His call and prepare yourself as a vessel of His Will.  Ask God to lead you in making every moment, even the most challenging ones, count.