Hey friends, I hope you have been doing well. Today I wanted to share a lesson I recently learned that has had such a significant impact on my life and faith.
So recently I went through a period of really feeling overwhelmed with everything I had on my plate and all the circumstances I found myself in that I wished I could change - like being in a long distance relationship. (Thankfully God doesn’t always let me have my way though!). I found myself wrestling with all of this and trying to find a solution to resolve this inner conflict.
But then something happened…
After much prayer and conversations with the close people around me, God showed me my own pride was holding me back from freedom. I was holding on to a pride of wanting to fix this problem by myself which stopped me from allowing Jesus to enter into my mind with peace.
See, pride is not just a bragging confidence that flaunts in the shadows of our strengths. It can also be in the stubbornness of relentlessly trying to fix things on our own. Not accepting help and not allowing Jesus to transform us if the problems we’re facing aren't going to disappear as a result.
I noticed moments where I would have a thought cross my mind of “oh, look at this blessing God has provided” followed by another voice reminding me of what He hasn't and thus, I wouldn't let myself sit in the good while the bad was still happening.
In a conversation with my boyfriend about this, I expressed that it felt too easy to simply just let go. To give it to Jesus and that’s all.
We live in a culture that values grit and achievement as a result of pain over a culture that acknowledges weaknesses and recognizes that we can't actually do it on our own. This is the mindset I found myself in; taking pride in the struggle so that I could feel like I earned the success.
The truth is, all Jesus tells us to do is come to him and we will find rest (Matt 11:28-30). There is nothing more than needs to be done and no battle that needs to be won. He is not just a ‘pitstop’ to mend up our wounds and send us back on our way. Rather, we will find rest despite the raging storm surrounding around us.
A beautiful image of the contrast of facing challenges with or without Jesus is the story of Jesus calming the storms He and His disciples found themselves in. They were still in the same boat on the same sea, but Jesus is the one who brought the calm (Mark 4:35-41).
Our problems very rarely just vanish. What makes the difference is our mindset. If Jesus is our focus we are not victims of any circumstances but refugees soaking up the care of our Provider who will give us peace despite what may be happening around us.
Once we reach a point of letting pride go, this truly is easier done than said.
I hope this newsletter helps you and reminds you of the life we are called to live. Enjoy your weekend and we’ll chat again soon x
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