One thing that I have always struggled with was being too hard on myself. No matter what I do, I always feel like it’s not enough, or that I could be doing more. I strive to be my “best self” and use my time as wisely as humanly possible, all while still living and enjoying my “present”. But, if I must be honest it is the hardest thing in the world to do.
Growing up I have been the type to always look towards the future. Whether it’s the life I want to have, how I want to treat husband, or raise my family, it was always future thinking. It is what drives me to do the things I do and pushes me to do more and more.
The problem I have is that there is a very thin line between being appreciative for what God has given/blessed you and I with, or always focusing on more as if what has been given is not enough. I would like to think that God knows how grateful I am for all He has done, but I often have to catch myself when I see me in the “hustle” or “grind” mode, as if I don’t trust God & don’t recognize how He has already blessed me. On one extreme there’s the option of trusting in God with the exclusion of action, in which case I’d put no further effort (other than prayer) into this endeavor. The other extreme is based on the idea that “God ONLY helps those who help themselves”.
For example, my senior year of college I applied to hundreds of jobs in attempt to have a position lined up before graduating. I had many interviews and thought that with my chosen major and previous connections I had made; I was all set. Little did I know, God was just waiting on me to solely put it all in his hands. Long story short, I graduated and had no idea what I was going to do. I went home for a short time and was traveling around with my mom on her preaching engagements. One day before we went into a service, I told God “If this is where you want me to be right now, I accept. My life is in your hands and I will wait for you to bring the opportunity to me”. It wasn’t a week later before a recruiter at my current company CALLED ME, ASKING if I would complete an application and interview for my current position. Let me just repeat that, I had applied for hundreds of jobs, and the minute I put it ALL in God’s hands, a better opportunity than what I had applied reached out to me. YES!
Also, I learned that there are all different types of successful people. There are the “wise”… those who are the highly educated, the “mighty” those who are naturally talented, and then there are the “noble”, those who come from a privileged background. Now let me tell you that there is nothing at all wrong with any of these three social statuses related to “success”. But, one downfall that is common among the three is these statuses often cause a higher dependence on “self”. As a result, an independence from God is an outcome. In any case, a greater dependence on self versus God causes us to lose sight of our need for God in our lives. Ultimately shutting the door from receiving His grace and favor. The bible says:
May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us – yes, establish the work of our hands. Psalm 90:17
For whoever finds me finds life, And obtains favor from the Lord; Proverbs 8:35
I will look on you with favor and make you fruitful and increase your numbers, and I will keep my covenant with you. Leviticus 26:9
For thou, Lord, wilt bless the righteous; with favor wilt thou compass him as with a shield. Psalm 5:12
These are just a few…
I think it’s clear that if we walk in His path by doing what we can and leaving the rest to God, He will take care of us. He has already told us in the Bible that He has granted us with unmerited favor (meaning whether we deserve it or not, it is ours). He won’t aide us if we believe that we can make it all happen on our own. He is a jealous God, so He wants all the glory. All of your success must be for His glory, not solely because you “grind” or “hustle” to make it happen. If you desire to live a life filled with God’s presence and favor, don’t lose sight of your reliance on Him. Instead, surrender fully to His perfect will. Place all your trust in Him, knowing that He gives favor to His children and will work everything out for your best!
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