It’s In There
Can we talk? Times are so different right now that it’s hard to recognize where we are, what’s really happening, how we each fit in, and who we are underneath all of the fuss! Even if you’ve been around the block a few times, like me – keeping a balanced self is challenging. I love blog writing because I can talk to readers about most anything, even the hidden things of the heart. As a result, for this February’s Valentine Heart Day, my blog is directed straight from my heart to yours.
January and February are refreshing, fasting, and regrouping months for me. This year, connected to the turbulence of last year, is a focus on seeking God in all things, especially for self-direction. It’s more than just self-care, it’s really identifying self-habits that bear no fruit, to exchange them for habits that do. I’ve written about “me time,” “being me,” and not living as a “doing” person to the neglect of “being,” in several blogs and books. This is something different.
When distractions and business as usual are disrupted (pandemic), the “me” that is left has to be enough. All value, self-esteem, and contentment have to be in there – in our hearts. Sometimes I recognize this lack of intention for nurturing the self better in others than in myself… sigh. Here’s what I’ve learned:
- It matters to God who and what we serve and our motives for what we do or don’t do.
- When we can’t find time for self-care, we are destroying His creation in us and not receiving who He says we are.
- Doing 50 things for God or helping others gets the same merit as doing 5. He measures the purpose and motives of our hearts, not the deeds. Busy doesn’t get extra points in heaven.
- We should not take responsibility for things that are out of our control.
- Jesus loves our imperfect selves, and if we didn’t take the bull by the horns sometimes, He wouldn’t love us more or less.
- We are not entitled to anything, but we get it all because of Christ. It’s not how smart we are or who we have become or what we’ve attained that brings God’s grace/mercy, it’s just His nature of love to love on us.
When you or I don’t respect our own individual boundaries (from God, the environment, our physical-emotional-spiritual selves, OPP – other people’s problems), we tie up the Hands of God and delay the favor of our faith. It’s almost like we are “playing” god; having to be surrounded by so much activity. Saying no is acceptable when warranted. We have a say over yes and no responses. We cannot control the things that happen around us; but we can control our response, we get to tell the story.
God is always at work in us. He brings out of us things that do not define us well (wrong attitudes are just as much sin as killing, stealing, or lying), for our good. And… if we don’t learn the lesson through God’s instruction, He’ll let us keep experiencing the runoff of doing whatever we’re doing, getting the wrong results.
Granted, it’s hard to take a look within and work with God on it! You will be totally surprised by how He replaces things with Himself in our heart. I had to figure out what the payoff for my overdrive (doing) really was (psychology 101) and what the fear of “being” instead of doing was. I had to question my self-esteem and my God meter. The biggest part about this process is that letting go (old habits die hard) has a reward system. Peace and joy are found, not connected to material things, but to a remarkable closeness with God.
You and I experience a new year when we let go, say no, set boundaries, and take care of ourselves better. The year 2020 has brought all of us to a core truth; we must learn to manage and be more committed to a process of lasting change. God is still in control and always has been. It would only take one word or thought or slight movement on His part to, in an instant, crumble this world completely! His divine power is overshadowed by His faithfulness and love for us.
When we trust and obey, we shake the atmosphere with the good of a situation. We grow, other people grow, a blessing flows as we settle into that all-is-well aura. My trusting God reminds me not to play god, it’s not my responsibility to ensure results, that’s His job.
When the Lord takes the reigns, we can live and enjoy life. If you’ve trusted (believe) that Jesus died for your sins, then you can trust Him to know what you need and how to make you happy right now. God can do all things, without our help. Take a look, open your heart, it’s in there… His love, the best you, and His plans to give you hope and a good future.
