You know those times in life when you're just... tired?
The times when you drink too much coffee, and yet the energy doesn't come. You lay down for sleep and it comes quickly and leaves slowly, but still it never feels like enough? You know the times I'm talking about. We all have them. And well, friends, I am in the midst of one now. Every time I sit at my computer to do any type of meaningful work, my eyes get heavy and my attention span dwindles. It can be frustrating, but I am here to tell you (and myself) that it is fleeting. It will pass. Rest, friend. Your body is telling you something - listen to it. Rest your physical body, and turn to God to rest your heart. Chances are, these times come to you when you may be anxious or dealing with something. While I cannot give you a magic word to make your troubles go away, I can tell you about a wonderful God that cares for you. He calls for you to rest in Him; rest in His goodness. Spend some time in His word today, and then maybe take a nap.
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I have made many mistakes in my life, but there is one that has shaped my twenties. It is a mistake I have been making for years, and continue to make to this day - I find myself always waiting on happiness. Never content, always restless. I find myself feeling down at church when I see the happy young families, living a life I want so badly. I find myself losing heart as I shop for home decorations, thinking, oh when I have my own house, or oh when I live there... then I will create this space I love. An action dependent on something I am waiting for. I find myself applying for jobs, feeling so discouraged that none of them fit just right with what I want to do. Or other times they do but they don't work out. Or other times I have no idea what I want to do. I keep waiting for that to change. It's been years. My point is this - this discontent breeds unhappiness. I always have joy, I will always have joy - but peace? Forget about it. Let me make myself clear about a couple of things: 1) Discontentment is not always bad! It pushes us further, keeps us seeking, and takes us places God wants us to be! Restlessness for God is a beautiful thing. 2) This is not a pity post. My life is wonderful, and I am ABUNDANTLY BLESSED. I truly recognize this. Instead, this is about feeling that all is well even when all is just fine. I realize this is an incredibly personal struggle to be sharing - but I am not afraid to do so, because I know it is not a unique struggle. In fact, I would venture to say, almost every single person faces this struggle. If we do not talk about it, it is easy to feel isolated in our challenges. So, let's chat. Can you say all is well even when all is just fine? Like I said, I'm restless - always after something new. While this has lead me on wonderful adventures and to many wonderful people, the root of the problem is this: where am I searching for satisfaction? When I sit here in the midst of my blessings always looking for something else, it is not because I have my eyes on God. It is because I have my eyes on what I have been told will make me happy. The Lord places good desires on our hearts for a reason, and by all means, let's seek them! But if we are not careful, suddenly those desires from God start to outweigh our desire FOR God. God knew we would struggle with this - that is why in Matthew, Jesus says, "Seek first the Kingdom of God, and all your desires will be given to you." It is easy to think this is God's promise of the good life. This is not provision Gospel. This does not mean that God gives us all that we want like our personal good-life genie. Instead, this is God promising that only He can provide the good life, and even better yet... HE WILL! He knew our earthly desires would let us down. Our relationships end. Our jobs are unfulfilling. God's provision, on the other hand, never ends; it never leaves us unfulfilled. It may leave us restless, as He urges us on to bigger and better things in the pursuit of His kingdom. But that is a beautiful restlessness. So my challenge for all of us is this, the next time we feel unhappy because we do not seem to have what we want, let us ask ourselves what it is we actually want. Then let's shift - keeping our eyes on God, constantly craving a closer relationship with Him, and being open to the provision and peace He provides, even if it looks differently than the way we expected it to. With God, there is no waiting on Happiness. He, alone, is all that is good. God promises that only He can provide the good-life. And even better yet... HE WILL! |
AuthorHello! I'm Becca -humanitarian, caffeine addict, lover of books, people, and all things Jesus. You can find me in my pajamas, day dreaming about rainy days and saving the world. Archives
May 2018
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