Breaking Free From Conformity and Accepting Who God Created You to Be

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – His good, pleasing and perfect will.”  Romans 12:2

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The tears came slowly at first as I scrolled through Facebook and stumbled upon the business page of a fellow fitness coach.  Photo after photo of selfies in her sports bra and comments about how she crushed her last workout.  Her posts may have been meant to be encouraging, but they certainly didn’t make me feel that way.

As I clicked to return back to my newsfeed, I couldn’t help but notice the number at the top of her page.

29K people follow this.

I compared that to my measly 200.  What was I doing wrong?  Why did she have so many followers?  And, most importantly, why did I care so much?

In returning to my newsfeed, I was greeted by a slow motion video of a well-endowed woman jumping rope in her sports bra.  21K views.  Then a 24-year old working out to Missy Elliott’s Get Your Freak On.  17K views.  It didn’t take long for the tears to turn to self-doubt, discouragement, and despair.  I tried to hold it together, but I lost it.  Was this what it takes to gain followers?  If so, then my blog was destined to hold steady at the same number of subscribers.

The words of Priscilla Shirer from my Gideon Bible study that week came flooding back to me:

“(When you are a new creation in Christ) you are not the same person you used to be.  You have no business going where you used to go.  You have no business doing the same things you used to do.”

A few years ago, I would have wallowed in self-pity for awhile, but this time I chose to do it differently.  I went to God in prayer.  And from that moment forward, when I catch myself comparing I ask myself the following:

Is this in alignment with my assignment?  Is it consistent with who I am and what God is calling me to do? 

If the answer is yes, I approach with caution, humbling myself so that God may be glorified.  If the answer is no, I let it go.  I stop worrying about my friends and my followers for the freedom to become who God designed me to be and follow Him.

Will you choose the same?

I Can Just Be Me

Take a moment to listen to the song, I Can Just Be Me by Laura Story  Here’s an excerpt that speaks to me.

[Verse 1]
I’ve been doing all that I can
To hold it all together
Piece by piece.
I’ve been feeling like a failure,
Trying to be braver
Than I could ever be.
It’s just not me.

[Verse 2]
I’ve been living like an orphan,
Trying to belong here,
But it’s just not my home.
I’ve been holding on so tightly,
To all the things that I think
Could satisfy my soul.
But I’m letting go

[Chorus]
So be my father, my mighty warrior, be my king.
Cause I can be scattered, frail and shattered,
Lord I need You now to be,
Be my God, so I can just be me.

We simplify our life when we stop wasting time following someone else’s footsteps and recognize that there is enough Kingdom work for all of us.  We were each created with a unique purpose and no one can steal that away from us, but to fulfill that purpose we have to break free from conformity.  We have to stop going the places we used to go and engaging in the activities we used to do.  We have to start spending more time in His presence, seeking His will, and living in alignment with who we are as a new creation in Christ.  

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – His good, pleasing and perfect will.”  Romans 12:2

Are you willing to admit what you’re not made for?  Will you let go of the things that aren’t in alignment with your assignment so you can follow Him?

I know from experience it’s not easy.  The world will try to tell us who we should be.  Rather than look outside of ourselves for answers, God asks us to look within.  Discover what makes you different and embrace that.  Find what you love to do and develop that.  Investigate where your passions and the problems of this world intersect and pursue that.  God has given us everything we need to carry out the purpose He created us for, but to carry it out we must walk with Him.  And to do that we must walk away from the daily distractions that steal our focus off of Him and what makes us each uniquely and wonderfully made. 

Call to Action: Say the prayer below and invite God to help you break free from conformity so you can discern His good, pleasing, and perfect will for your life.

Dear God, help me to live in alignment with my assignment and let the rest go.  Help me to focus on knowing you more than making myself known and following you more than gaining followers.  Give me the courage to love myself, be myself, and believe that You made me just as I am for a purpose. Help me come to you to find my purpose and walk with You on the path you’ve chosen for me. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Additional Resources:
7 Questions to Ask To Discern if it’s God’s Will

References:

1. Van Kirk, Kelsey, narrator.  “Keeping Your Hustle Holy with Michelle Meyers.”  The Better Life Podcast, Season 1, Episode 12.  February 9, 2018.  https://www.kelseyvankirk.com/podcast/holy-hustle-michelle-myers

2. Shirer, Priscilla.  (2013).  Gideon.  Nashville, TN: LifeWay.