Giving Others Power Over Us

Maybe you've done it. Certainly you've seen it happen to others. I go somewhere or am with someone and become someone different under the influence of the situation or people I am with. Instead of being 'me' I become someone else, someone not true to who I really am and want to be.

Sometimes when others treat us wrong or hurt us, we do the same thing. We change how we act toward them based not on a rational decision, but on our emotions and feelings. In a real sense we let those who've bothered us have power over us and change who we are. We probably can justify our behavior and feelings but we've still surrendered ourselves to someone else's emotional and behavioral control.

Jesus came to free us from all forms of bondage so we could be the people God wants us to be. If we aren't careful we can surrender the freedom Jesus came to give us and voluntarily put ourselves under the power of others. We have the choice. We can let others change who we are or we can be free and be who we know God wants us to be.

"It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery." Galatians 5:1 (NAS)