What Surrounds You Shapes You

We don't often realize how much where we are influences who we become until we're left alone looking in the mirror, asking ourselves, "Who is this?" "How did I get here?" or "When did I become her?"

If you've never had that moment of reflection, maybe this isn't your season for this word. But if you have, then you know exactly what I'm talking about.

As someone who's been there—and is now walking on the other side—I know the devastation of becoming unrecognizable to yourself because you slowly conformed to who you thought you needed to be in order to be accepted.

Most of the time, it's not one big decision that changes who you are—it's a slow drift. You don't even realize how many degrees away from the person God created you to be you've moved because it happens little by little. One compromise. One relationship. One environment. One conversation. One decision at a time.

It reminds me of Lot.

When we first meet him, "Lot moved his tents near Sodom" (Genesis 13:12). He wasn't living in the city—he was just close enough to it. But by the time God was ready to judge Sodom and Gomorrah, Lot was sitting in the city gate(Genesis 19:1). He had gone from pitching his tent near Sodom to becoming established in Sodom.

What happened?

Influence.

The places you linger, the voices you entertain, and the environments you normalize will eventually shape who you become. Scripture reminds us, "Do not be deceived: 'Bad company corrupts good character.'" (1 Corinthians 15:33).

I can almost imagine the people of Sodom walking in and out of those city gates, talking about how exciting life was there. Day after day, Lot could see the city. He could hear it. It became familiar. What once seemed too close eventually became home.

That's how drift works. You don't wake up one day and decide to become someone you don't recognize. You slowly adapt to what you're surrounded by until the unfamiliar becomes normal.

But here's the part of the story that gives me hope. Lot had someone praying for him. Abraham interceded on his behalf (Genesis 18:22–33). And because of God's mercy, the Lord didn't leave Lot where he was. The angels came to get him. In fact, "when he hesitated, the men grasped his hand... and led him safely out of the city, for the Lord was merciful to him" (Genesis 19:16).

What a picture of God's heart.

Even when we've drifted farther than we ever intended, God is still willing to come after us. His mercy reaches into the places we've settled, and His love refuses to leave us trapped by the environments that changed us.

He has a way of stripping away every false identity we've picked up along the journey until we're face-to-face with the person He created us to be. That process isn't always comfortable, but it is freeing. Every layer He removes brings you one step closer to the real you.

Maybe you've looked in the mirror and wondered, "How did I get here?" If that's you, take heart. The same God who came for Lot is still pursuing His sons and daughters today. His grace is greater than your drift, and His voice is stronger than your environment. God doesn't leave us there. You don't have to spend the rest of your life trying to become someone you're not. In Christ, you have permission to become who you've always been created to be.

in transition,

Erika Michelle