Encourage others to become who they were created to become, not who YOU want them to become.

About a half a year ago I wrote this thought down on a piece of paper with the intention for it to be a blog post… eventually. In light of my last two posts, now feels like the right time to expound upon the message.

Over the course of my life, particularly in a few past job situations, there have been people surrounding me that wanted me to become not who I was created to be, but who THEY wanted me to be. I wasn’t blinded by their coercions, though. I felt them stirring within me, but it wasn’t a good kind of stir. It was the kind of stir that robbed me of my peace. The more they wanted me to fit into their mold and leave the things that made me ‘me’ behind, the more my insides would twist and topple and feel restricted. Lord knows I wanted to do a good job for them, but the question in my head was, why does that mean I should sacrifice who I am in order to fit this very finite version of who you want me to be? Ultimately I knew the more I was myself, the better I could do for them. I would think, why do YOU want me to be that way and only that way? Is it because that is what worked for you and so you believe it has to be the only way it works for everyone else too?

What if I was composed differently than you? Because I am. My life circumstances, experiences, and lessons have been different than yours. Because of that, I act, learn, and excel different from you.

I find it quite discrediting to our Creator to assume we all should learn or act in the same way. Aren’t His designs and abilities limitless? Furthermore, aren’t you playing God if you’re trying to shape people into who YOU think they should be rather than help them uncover who God created them to be?

If you have a mentor, boss, friends, or family in your life that are constantly trying to shape you into who they want you to become, rather than encouraging you to seek who God wants you to become, there is a problem there. On the contrary, if you send people in pursuit of God (whether being direct or indirect about it), He’s big enough to take care of the rest.

Encourage people to become the best version of themselves and as they dig deeper to become that person, they will begin to send themselves down the path of true self and deeper relationship with God – whether it’s intentional or not.

When you find yourself surrounded by people who are forcing you to become who they want you to be rather than encouraging you to uncover who God wants you to be, YOU ARE IN THE WRONG PLACE.

Seek TRUTH – truth of self. It will set you free.