8/6/2020 0 Comments Steering away from StrivingHow hard are you working to make your life work? To make it turn out the way your want? To align things in the best possible way to achieve success or the feeling of it? For me, asking myself how hard I'm working is actually second nature. This thought runs through my head all the time. It runs through my head and I don't always have an answer for myself. More often than not I know the answer but don't want to face the answer. You see, I'm one of those people that easily gets lost down the rabbit whole of striving. I will work and make things happen. I like the feeling of progress and "perfection". I have an inner force of personality that drives me to goal setting and achievement. Does that ring a bell with you? Did you notice I put the word perfection in quotes? Its our culture's definitions for that word that have so infiltrated our thinking. There are lots of definitions, but how many have we adopted? Clearly, I have a lot of questions for us today. But the answers are going to propel us into much better living and much more freedom going forward.
In the last few weeks, Psalm 127:1-2 is like a recording on repeat in my head. For me, its a clear call to assess my innate and fleshly need to strive. Its a firm reminder that I have got to get into alignment with truth. Here's what it says: "Unless the Lord builds a house, the work of the builders is wasted. Unless the Lord protects a city, guarding it with sentries will do no good. It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones." Do me a favor and read that a least twice. Whether it strikes a cord with you immediately or not, I know the Holy Spirit will ignite those words in your heart like He did in mine. Especially in this season of our lives and in this crazy and upsetting time we have all the reasons in the world to work as hard as we can and focus all our energies and do as much as we can to make our lives as good as they can be and provide as much normalcy as we can muster. Right? Isn't that right? You probably already know that I'm going to say no. No, it isn't right. Not completely right anyway. Mostly wrong, in fact. Because, I believe, brothers and sisters, that if we set those things I mentioned (working hard, focusing energy, making good happen) as the priority of our lives APART from acknowledging the Master Builder and apart from acknowledging the True Shield and Protector of our existence then we are going to continue walking down a road that leads to exhaustion and lack. A road that reveals our priority setting was in vain. And I, for one, am absolutely unwilling to see that happen to me. I am unwilling to see my efforts prove to be in vain. For all the disasters and calamities happening around us we don't have even one minute to spare or to waste. Would you agree? So let me ask you to do this with me. Let me ask you to retrace your steps. Let yourself go back to a beginning point and reassess what your progress has looked like so far. Has your progress been a pleasant journey? Has your progress been enveloped in peace and rest? Have you enjoyed the time spent making that progress? In all honesty, I have not enjoyed many of my days and years in my journey with Jesus. He was with me. He never left me. He never ceased speaking to me. But I didn't always give Him the rightful place that brings all that friendship with Him into the realm of His practical Lordship over me. I did not for years give Him the Lordship that destroys strife and the striving habits I thought life required. If you read my last post, you'll read that our Lord will get our attention when He needs to and His loving discipline of me has changed my life. You see, in the current season I'm in I have realized that I absolutely cannot build my life apart from Him. I'm not that skilled. I'm not that smart or clever. I'm not that powerful that I am able to achieve real and lasting results WITHOUT Him in His rightful place over my life. On the other hand, with HIM holding the reigns of my life... I am skilled. I am smart and clever. I am powerful (through the power of the Holy Spirit). I am many, many, many more things than I would be if I were striving and working and doing apart from His Lordship. Friend, its a joyful opportunity. Its a restful opportunity and one that is full of life. Its the opportunity, always before you and me, to acknowledge that "Unless the Lord builds a house [our life] and unless the Lord protects a city [our homes, families, property and livelihoods] we are risking failure and efforts coming to nothing. We don't have resources to risk and hours or days to spare. Every moment is precious. Every effort should be timely and aligned under Him. Its the life-giving way. Its the way that leads to a soul wholly well. The soul is our mind, will, and emotions. Our spirits come alive by His Spirit the day we invite Him in and surrender our lives for His glory. but the soul needs the daily washing and renewal that comes through His Word and through relationship with Him. I humbly ask you to consider these truths I have shared. And may we come fully alive! May we become aware of our true potential and true giftings. All under the knowledge that He is the beginning and the end. He will be the author of it all, if we let Him. He will ensure that our whole soul is well. He is able to build us and protect us. We are His adored creation. May you sense and experience the riches of these things from this point and all the days going forward.
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