“Who Do You Want to Be?”

By: Bailey Rains

Who do you want to be? That’s a question I ask myself and the people around me often. It’s not as complicated as people make it. You don’t want to be like your grandparents, your parents, your sibling, your aunt, your friend? Then don’t be. You want to be like your mom, that lady at Walmart, your cousin? Then you can be. Becoming the person you want to be takes time and energy, but it is worth it.

I really want to be like Jesus. That can be such a cliche sentence, but don’t let it be. I recently heard a friend say, “there’s a 10% chance of precipitation today, but there’s a 0% chance of negativity.” Can you imagine if there was a 0% chance of negativity in your day-to-day life? My goodness! We can’t control what other people say or do but we can control how we react to their actions and statements. As hard as it might seem, we can control what comes out of our mouths.

We might not be able to control the negativity percentage another chose this morning, but we can choose ours.

If you are living and breathing right now, I’m sure you’ve seen all the craze about personality tests, especially the enneagram. (Thank you, millennials, for this trend.) I have a love/hate relationship with these tests. They’re a window to peek into someone’s mind and personality, but they can also cause people to box themselves into their personality type and use it as an excuse to not grow. For example, your personality type might cause you to be pessimistic or overthink every detail of life. But don’t keep yourself in that box. Use it as an opportunity to grow.

You’re on a journey. The people around you are on a journey. Don’t be ashamed of where you are in the journey. Don’t be intimidated by the people who are ahead of you. And have grace for yourself.

You aren’t where you want to be? That’s okay. Keep going. Keep stepping. Remember, it takes time. But you can do it.

Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light to my path.” We don’t have the privilege of seeing the end of our journey, and I honestly think that’s a good thing. Life is a process, and we need process to grow. The Word of God will allow you to confidently take one more step toward who you want to be, and more importantly, who God wants you to be.

It’s okay to regularly reflect on your life. In fact, you should. Ask your spouse, mentor, or best friend what you should work on in your personal life. That can be a weekly question. Take a deep breath and allow someone to correct you.

We only have one life. Why not live it to the fullest?

The modern phrase for “life to the fullest” is “living my best life.” I truly think Jesus wants you to live your best life. What needs to change in you for you to live your best life? I encourage you to reflect on yourself today. Becoming who you want to be starts with a single step or decision today. Ask the Holy Spirit where you need to be corrected. Maybe that’s the next step in your journey. Now you’re one step closer to your destination. You’re doing great, girl. Don’t give up. 

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