Free At Last!

In Proverbs we read, “Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever
trusts in the Lord is kept safe.” (Proverbs 29:25)

I don’t think I’ve ever met a person who does not want to be liked, admired, and valued for who they are and what they do.

As I watch my young grand-daughters play, it doesn’t take much time before they are trying to get my attention and approval. “Look at me Grammy”, one will say…and the next moment the other will be in tears if I didn’t show my approval for the little pictured they just colored. Now as innocent as this may seem, I remember doing the very same thing as a little girl.

First it was the approval of my parents, then my teacher, and friends. I wanted affirmation. I wanted to know I measured up. By nature I was a pleaser and at times I still battle with this.

As a young minister’s wife this became not only a burden in my life, but it caused me to walk in fear. I slowly began to loose my joy in serving the Lord. I became part of a vicious cycle of pleasing others and wondering if I met all the expectations of our church members.

Ladies, let me just interject here to remember to pray, love and honor your pastor’s wife. She needs to know you love her and are there no matter what she may or may do.

The most liberating thing I ever did, after receiving counsel from my spiritual mom, was just to be honest with the women in my church about my fears and insecurities. She told me they would love me more if I was real and vulnerable. It was a risk, and I must say I was petrified to do it.

I’ll never forget that ladies meeting when I stood up and shared my heart with a room full of eyes that seemed to look strait through me. I was so nervous I was shaking as I spoke. At the end the meeting the women began to form a line to thank me. I stood there and wept as each one hugged me and shared many of their own insecurities with me.


Freedom, freedom I continued to cry all the way home. I felt like I could literally fly. This was the beginning of learning how to truly please God and not man for the first time in my life, and I made a pledge to never turn back.

I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. (Psalm 34:4)

Am I totally set free? Don’t ever believe that, but now I enjoy a freedom I didn’t have before. My focus and passion is to please Jesus, the one whom my soul loves most.

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