Has someone ever tried to put you in a box?

Not literally, but metaphorically. Maybe your parents or someone you dated had a specific vision for you, and you found yourself trying not to step out of the boundaries of their expectations despite your own goals or feelings. Or perhaps you created a box for yourself – one that consists of a very strict list of who you should be and who you shouldn’t be in order to gain approval and acceptance.

I believe that all of us at one point has attempted to alter ourselves in order to fit into The Box that others have created for us. We fear rejection and opposition to who we truly are, so it seems only logical to become who people tell us to be in order to be accepted.

I’ve had a lot of experience with The Box. After a bad breakup with a guy I had turned into an idol, I spent most of my time thinking, “If I was only like this, he’d still be with me.” The thought was torture. I spent a lot of time rejecting who I was, and hating any woman who exhibited traits I thought I should have. In addition, I couldn’t be myself because I thought there was something wrong with who I was.

I spent a lot of time attempting to reprogram myself until the Lord revealed to me something spectacular: When God designed me, He had no intentions for me to be anyone else. He sculpted me. He created me to be exactly who I am for His purposes. The time I had spent trying to be someone else was hindering His plans for me. God accepts and loves who I am – He doesn’t want me to be anybody else.

The same goes for you. You were not designed to be someone else. God created you from His own custom blueprints. He rejoices in who you are, not for who you think you should be.

There will always people who will reject us. Even Jesus was (and still is) rejected. Jesus didn’t have one flaw in Him, but people insulted Him, mocked Him, and crucified Him. If anyone knows what it’s like to be rejected for who they are, Jesus does.

Don’t torture yourself by trying to shove yourself into The Box. You do not belong there. You are meant to be the wonderful creation God designed you to be. Although it is tempting to try to be someone else for the sake of affection and acceptance, it will not benefit you. You will eventually feel trapped and enslaved by expectations. Instead, be who God has created you to be. He delights in your existence; not for who you might be one day, but for who you are today.

Verses to Think About:
Ephesians 2:10
For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago.

Psalm 139:13
You [God] made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb.

Isaiah 49:1,3
The Lord called me before my birth; from within the womb he called me by name… He said to me, “You are My servant, Israel, and you will bring Me glory.”