Why I am Choosing to Staying True to My Path
LIFE STORIES
Photo by Tran Mau Tri Tam ✪ on Unsplash
Sometimes I get tired of the seemingly endless questions people ask about my life. From the day you start talking people want to know when you are going to (fill in the blank). I know I’m not the only one who has been at the receiving end of the onslaught.
Life is full of voices urging us to do one thing or another. It is exactly what causes peer pressure as well as FOMO. When you’re weak you give in to it. Luckily for me, I’ve always found strength in charting my own course. It’s not because I am smarter or better than anyone else. I was raised by parents who preferred to live out their own values without succumbing to societal pressure.
Charting my own course is not rooted in pride — it’s driven by purpose. When you’re clear about your calling, distractions lose their shine, no matter how tempting they seem.
This truth comes alive for me in the story of Nehemiah (Nehemiah 6:2–4, NIV), a man who refused to abandon his mission despite relentless attempts to pull him away. His determination inspires me to stay focused, even when the world tries to lure me off track.
Sanballat and Geshem sent me this message: “Come, let us meet together in one of the villages on the plain of Ono.” But they were scheming to harm me; so I sent messengers to them with this reply: “I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?”
Four times they sent me the same message, and each time I gave them the same answer.
Nehemiah’s unwavering focus inspires me. He recognised that not every invitation deserves an answer and not every voice deserves an audience. His discernment protected him from harm and allowed him to complete the vital work God had given him.
Similarly, I understand that giving in to what others think I should do often means abandoning the unique work I’ve been entrusted with.
Peer pressure is powerful, especially when it’s disguised as concern, opportunity, or even advice. There’s a story of a man travelling with his son and a donkey that highlights this well.
Along the way, passersby criticised how they travelled. One moment they said the father should be riding the donkey. The next they said the son should be riding the donkey. Later, they said neither of them should be riding the donkey.
Trying to please everyone, they ended up carrying the donkey, which eventually fell off a bridge.
The Lesson?
When you try to meet everyone’s expectations, you lose your own way — and sometimes, what you were carrying all along.
I’ve learned to identify what I call “Onos” in my life — those invitations, pressures, or distractions that, while sounding reasonable, threaten to derail my progress.
Whether it’s the pressure to conform to societal norms, follow someone else’s career path, or pursue goals that don’t align with my values, I remind myself of Nehemiah’s words: “I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down.”
The solution is discernment. As Proverbs 4:25–27, NIV says:
“Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.”
This steadfast focus requires courage. It’s not easy to say “no” repeatedly, especially when people persist. But I’ve come to understand that saying “no” to distractions is saying “yes” to purpose.
I often reflect on Jesus, too. He was constantly questioned, doubted, and pressured to prove Himself. Yet, He remained steadfast, prioritising His mission over the expectations of others.
In John 6:15, after performing miracles, the crowd wanted to make Him king by force, but He withdrew to a mountain to pray. He knew His purpose wasn’t to meet their demands but to fulfil God’s will.
So, when I choose not to copy others or bow to their expectations, it’s not out of rebellion but alignment.
My focus is on the path ahead — the work I’ve been called to do. It may not make sense to others, but that’s okay. Just like Nehemiah, I’m carrying on a great project, and I cannot come down.