O.P.O – Do You Have It?
“O.P.O.” Know what that is? It really wound me up this morning. Right now it’s the season of lots of activity and lots of schedule conflicts. Why does everything have to fall on the same day? Why do even the priority commitments fall on the same day?
I feel the stress of this in my life all most daily. Daily! Anybody else? Every day there is more than I can do, more people that I will disappoint, more balls I will drop. It used to make me want to curl up in the fetal position because before I’ve even left my house in the morning, I feel like I’ve failed. You know what this is?
O.P.O. Do you battle it? You just can’t live a peaceful, productive, joy-filled life when you’re consumed by managing O.P.O. – Other. People’s. Opinions.
Yikes.
At the root of this debilitating condition is pride. People-pleasing, approval addiction, elevating what people think of you above what God thinks of you and what God has called you to. I’ve battled this disease well but sometimes I have flare-ups.
Here’s what helps me when I do:
- Recognize you are not omnipresent and you can’t be everywhere.
- Realize you are really not that important and everyone will be ok if you’re not everywhere.
- And most important- Remember Who is Lord of your life.
You live for Him. His purposes, His will – not even your own agenda, and certainly not O.P.O.
If you got wound up this morning like I did, start over. Let His word wash over you and jump back into your day with the Lord in His rightful place in your heart.
“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.”
- Lamentations 3:22-25
