Recently, a friend got angry at me because of a choice I had made. It had been a difficult decision, but I felt God had been leading me in this direction. I tried to be as kind as possible when I told my friend about it, but he still blew up. Hurt and confused, I talked to my best friend, Andy. He reminded me that as long as I had done what was right and told the truth, I was not at fault. My other friend was responsible to God for his reaction.

Do your best to live at peace with everyone.
Romans 12:18 (CEV)

Andy’s comment made me think about how I view myself. Often I am tempted to carry the burden of other people’s feelings, so I am overly cautious about how I interact with people. Instead, loving God and myself means that I should give myself the freedom to make choices. I am accountable to God to love and respect other people, but I shouldn’t let their emotions control me. I can be confident in my decisions and humble at the same time.

PRAYER: God, when I get caught in the middle, trying to please everyone, help me to make the right decisions. Amen.