Free To Be Me
by Annalene Holtzhausen
One aspect of nature that often amazes me is the huge variety God created. He chose, for example, to create, not one particular butterfly, but hundreds of different ones. Just thinking about the different shades of green God created, and also the variety He brought into every tree and flower leaves me awestruck. Just imagine how He enjoys the beauty of His creation - from the majestic mountain ranges to tiny insects, and an eagle soaring in the sky. He also created it for our enjoyment, and He spoils us with the huge variety!
It’s the same with people. God loves variety. Not only do we come from different cultures and nations, but each person is unique, inwardly and outwardly. Unfortunately, differences can often cause tension and conflict. Differences are seen as threatening. We can find a comfort zone in our own ways and refuse to be open to the variety that God created in other people. And we need the Holy Spirit to reveal to us where we’ve been tied down by other people’s own ideas of how we should behave and live.
We may believe that we ourselves should behave in a certain way, but never stop to wonder if it’s God’s way. In the process we become someone who tries to please others. We live in fear of disappointing people and our every move is measured by their approval or disapproval. This isn’t God’s heart for us. We’ll never experience the freedom of being who God created us to be if we stay in man-made moulds. We need to firstly please our Creator. But the most wonderful thing is that He’s already pleased with us!
Allow God to show you who you are in Him and accept yourself. Then allow God to grow you into the person He created you to be. This way you’ll blossom and bear fruit to His glory. You’ll also begin to embrace the differences in other people and not squash them.
Prayer: Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for creating me as the unique person I am. Please show me where there are human constraints that are holding me back, and release me from them. Also show me where I’ve tried to shape people to fit into my mould. I choose to release them into Your care and covering. Help me grow and blossom into the person You made me to be. Amen.
Annalene Holtzhausen is on the Associate Team at Ellel, Africa. She is married to Renier, who introduced her to Ellel Ministries. She is a full-time mother to their two boys. Her passion is for the restoration of women’s hearts and for people to find their worth in the Lord.
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