We’re social beings to our core and naturally others will influence the decisions we make. But there are still differences between our immature responses and our more mature ones.
For instance, there’s wisdom in following the legitimate authorities God has placed in our lives. But not everyone is a qualified authority. And we’re simply playing the Good Boy when we blindly do whatever we’ve been told without thinking for ourselves.
The Good Boy is nice and, like a puppy, he’s cute and cuddly. But he remains impotent and has not yet discovered his own strength to bring more life and goodness into the world, or how to come through for others in their time. He constantly needs someone else to tell him what to do and how to live.
At the other extreme is the Rebel who appears to do his own thing. But in reality he’s still depended on others in order to rebel against them.
Certainly, there’s a place not to give into peer pressure and to resist merely going along with the crowds. But there’s no wisdom in simply doing the opposite of whatever everyone else is doing.
While the Good Boy blindly follows, the Rebel blindly rejects. And neither is thoughtfully considering and taking responsibility for themselves. Both conveniently hide behind or blame someone else for the problems in their life.
On the other hand, the Mature Man takes a different approach.
He knows when to follow and when to walk away because he lives by his own integrity and guiding principles. He thinks through issues and takes responsibility for the decisions he makes.
And while he’s still willing to be influenced by others, he is confident in who he is as well.
In the end, we leave a lot to be desired when we remain immature as the Good Boy or the Rebel.
Grow in maturity and learn to stand on your own two feet – neither merely appeasing nor rejecting others, but wisely discerning and taking responsibility for your own path forward.
Photo by Ulises Guareschi Corvetto on Unsplash
