The matter of relying on people

Yanna Smith
Reinhold Haludilu

It’s great when people believe in us. It’s of great joy when people are there to help us in whatever we do. It’s good knowing that there is always a friend to encourage us, cheer us on, make us feel valuable and to be complimented by others around us. Well, God uses people to help move us towards our destiny but here is the key; you can’t be so dependent on people that you are getting your worth and value out of how they treat you. It is easy to be addicted to compliments, addicted to encouragements and addicted to them cheering you on.

Now you tend to rely on them to keep you feeling good about yourself, to always be there to validate you and to make you feel approved. Like a drug, if they don’t keep you fixed and meet your expectations, then you seem to feel discouraged, inferior, and perhaps work overtime just to receive your approval.

The problem is that we are trying to get from people what only God can give. Your worth and value does not come from a person but from your Creator. So, if you totally rely on people then you will be disappointed because people will let you down, they will get busy and not be there when you need them most and sometimes, people will even turn on you.

Quit relying on people because what they do and don’t do does not determine your worth, what they give you or don’t give you cannot stop your purpose because God breathed His life into you and He has crowned you with His favour and blessings. Stop waiting for people to approve of you and start approving of yourself. People do not have to encourage you, you can encourage yourself, and people do not have to make you feel special, you can make yourself feel special.

You are a child of God made in His image and you are a masterpiece who deserves all that which is good in life. You will have better relationships if you start validating yourself because, always depending on someone else makes you needy, a burden to them, and waiting for other people to keep you fixed is no good. It is also imperative that you know that all people have their own problems and issues out there, thus, they are not responsible for your happiness.

So, you should learn to receive your worth and value from your heavenly Father and not from people because what they say or do cannot overwrite God’s plan for your life.

*Reinhold Haludilu is a student at the Namibia University of Science and Technology (Nust). His aim is to inspire his fellow Namibians through the art of writing.