From Striving to Stillness

Every moment of your life, every second of the day, you are bowing down to something. It’s easy to find yourself, whether consciously or subconsciously, bowing down to things like:

-Work
-“Success”
-Relationships
-Kids
-Hobbies/Habits  

And then, little by little, over time, you start to find your identity in these things. The Bible describes people as sheep who easily wander and go astray. But the beautiful thing is your identity is secure, and you never needed to do anything except invite Jesus in.  

God created you to simply be loved. No striving, no begging- just accepting His divine love for you.  Ephesians 1:4  says: 

“For he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless in his sight.”  

You are called to work for His glory, to bear fruit for His name, as it says in John 15. However, before you could even lift a finger, He had already chosen to create you. He chose you before you could do a single thing. You don’t need to work or strive to earn His approval or acceptance because He has already approved of and fully accepted you. All you have to do is turn to Him and trust Him.  

In light of these truths, please read the passage below about resting in the Lord.  

Psalm 23

“The Lord is my shepherd,  I lack nothing.
  He makes me lie down in green pastures,
  he leads me beside quiet waters,
  he refreshes my soul.
  He guides me along the right paths
  for his name’s sake.
  Even though I walk through
  the darkest valley,
  I will fear no evil,
  for you are with me;
  your rod and your staff,
  they comfort me.
  You prepare a table before me
   in the presence of my enemies.
  You anoint my head with oil;
  my cup overflows.
  Surely your goodness and mercy will 
  follow me all the days of my life,
  and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
  forever.  

As you think about the words written in the Psalm above, here is a song that reminds us of these truths:  

Ask God if you believe these truths, and if you don’t, ask Him to help you believe them.  

Take a moment to be still, to listen, and to let the Shepherd of your soul remind you: you are already His. Let this be a reminder that your worth is not in what you do, but in whose you are.  

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