The desire to please is evident in most of us. We often go from one extreme to another trying to please, but we never seem to get anywhere. The ones that we are trying to please, it seems cannot be pleased. When we ask another for an answer we most often hear: "Be yourself!" And in our mind we think: “Great, who is that? I don’t know who I am anymore...I’ve lost my identity somewhere. I used to be happy with who I was." We feel ourselves drowning in despair over the death of that person we used to be.

Romans 5:5-11 "For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation."

Who was I before I started having this identity crisis? Lost, full of sin and not having the truth in me. I thought I was having fun but I was getting farther and farther away from the child in me that was willing to trust and obey. I saw myself as strong, able to handle most any situation. I handled them alright by growing hard, bitter, un-forgiving and full of vengeance. We learn incorrectly to be cutting with our words and actions. And, in so trying to handle we find our selves frustrated at every turn. I saw a bumper sticker the other day and it said “Relax God is in control.” It is so hard to give that control over to God. When we receive Christ in our lives we automatically think that everything has been changed that needs changing. “Hello”!!!

That person is still there inside you. But here is the ticket; God wants you to die to that self so that Christ might live in you. Jesus has a purpose for each of us and that cry that is coming from your spirit is a deep desire to be who Christ has called you to be.

So as a Christian if we’ve been changed how come we’re always having these struggles within? "Self" rises up and wants to be noticed, it wants to flesh out its desires. To be who Christ has called us to be we have to walk after the Spirit not after the flesh. It’s not one another that we should be trying to please but God. The only way that they’re going to be pleased is to get their heart right with God. They show displeasure at most things because of their own selfish desires that want to be fleshed out.

Have you noticed when you're under temptation or even given in to it; how grouchy you become. How when that flesh just pulls and pulls at you 'till you either give in or get mad and take the authority that Christ has given you over the enemy. Those who are close to you are going through those struggles also. Our No.1 problem with handling crisis situations I believe, is our lack of surrendering those areas to the lordship of Christ.

Written by: Karen Trevino