Created To Thrive, Not Survive
I like to think of myself as a “go-getter”, someone who works hard for what they have and is always thinking of what’s next. I love the feeling of completing tasks ahead of schedule, planning months in advance to be set up for success; and creating systems to ensure efficiency just scratches something in my brain. All of these things are what make me a good admin, and help me and those I work alongside to be successful. If I am being completely honest with you, I love success.
In May of 2023, my beautiful baby boy was born, and just like that I was “Mom”. Becoming a Mom was a dream come true and answer to prayer. I adore my sweet boy and I am beyond grateful for the opportunity to nurture and raise him to know Jesus and make Him known. I know that first and foremost, being a Mom is primary calling and purpose. So why then does it feel like I’ve lost the part of me that was successful?
It seems as though almost immediately upon assuming the title of Mother, I lost the rest of who I was. Success in motherhood is vastly different than any success I’ve ever known. Suddenly, taking a shower is a task accomplished, nursing your baby feels like running a marathon, and don’t get me started on diaper changes. The reality is that keeping a whole human alive is a lot of work, and it’s absolutely work that matters! However for someone who has always been a busy bee, working as much as possible to feel the rush of being accomplished I have felt lost and like a failure. Not to mention, my reality of motherhood is nothing like the pinterest board and instagram world I imagined it to be.
Over the last year and a half, I have felt an undoing. The Lord has been showing me that for so long I have found my identity in my work and what I deem as success. I believe the Lord is doing the same for all of his people, he is calling us back home, calling our attention to what really matters. Our identity should be found in Him, not in the things we can accomplish or the treasures of the world.
Friends, we were never meant to strive for perfection or fight to provide for ourselves the life we think we are supposed to have.
The enemy wants nothing more than to distract us and turn our attention away from God. So often, I hear people talk about their beliefs and where they put their hope and it is usually in themselves or things of this world. Can I just say, having done that myself for far too long, it is exhausting and is in no way life giving. We were not created to live focused on self improvement, on the next best, or impressing those around us.
In fact, the word of God says the exact opposite. I encourage you to read Matthew chapter 6 as it really lays it all out for us. In this chapter Matthew explains that according to Jesus, we are to not think too highly of ourselves, to focus on uplifting and helping those who are lowly and do so in secret, to not worry about what we eat or drink or wear, or even what our days hold. And yet, although so many of us are aware of this truth we are still scrambling around, running ourselves into the ground as we strive for more. All the while yelling at God for unmet expectations as we idolize ourselves and focus solely on what we don’t have.
God wants us to walk in His freedom, finding our identity in who He created us to be. Release yourself from the burden of striving to be perfect, successful, and “good enough”.
Matthew 11:28-30 says 28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
When we take the focus off of ourselves and turn it back on the one who is truly in control we can walk in the joy of the Lord. Our faith is not about us, our life is not about us, we exist wholly for Christ. Oh the freedom and peace that comes when we put God back on his rightful throne!
Thank you Lord that you are God and I am not! Thank you that your yoke is easy and your burden is light. I know you have a plan for my life and that is all I want. I want to walk in truth, living to glorify you and focused on what really matters. Father, turn my attention back to you. Convict me, and humble me where needed and reveal to me the truth that the enemy is trying so desperately to distract me from. I exist for you Lord, and I surrender my will and my desire for success to you. Amen!
