“Why do we do the things that we do?”
This question intrigues me…
I love digging into the depths of this question.
There are so many things to discover…
Just think, God knows and understands every little “quirk” about us…
But here’s a serious question…
Have you ever checked in on your heart, because you’ve found yourself worn to the bone, and you’re striving so hard, and you know your heart is tired and weary?
“Am I striving in this way… in attempt to gain some sort of ‘approval or acceptance’?”
“Whose acceptance and love am I striving so hard to gain or to maintain?”
“For whom, do I find myself working my fingers to the bone?”
But what happens when we find ourselves running out of having something to give…
What happens when our hearts begin to feel low on the “overflow”…
What happens when our pen begins to run dry?
“Oh no, will I be a big let-down if I don’t keep doing all that I am doing?”
“Will I be approved of…”
“…Will I still be valuable, will I still be wanted…”
“Will I still be loved?…”
“Or will I be, nothing but a big disappointment?”
And so, out of fear…
we strive even harder… until we begin to finally crumble and break under the pressure.
Crash-landing,
breakdown…
But we’ve not been designed to live in this way…
We’ve not been created to live for—to strive for— “approval and acceptance.”
…we’ll run ourselves right into the grave trying to find it in this world.
And…
this is the part…
where the enemy thought he successfully led us into “crash and burn”…
“certain, utter destruction”
but really,
we’re running right into our Heavenly Father…
and we crash-land
right into Him. 💝
And we come to the One who has already accepted us, simply for who we are.
No matter the “condition” we find ourselves in.
He always delights in us being near.
He already loves us, and He already approves of us, and He fully accepts us…
Not for what we do, not for what we have or haven’t done, but for who we are.
And so we come to the One who can refresh our tired and weary bones.
We come to the One who can love us back to life.
He cares about the condition of our hearts.
We come to the One…
who
just
simply
loves us
Because, He does. 💝
He claims us as His. We belong to Him. We are accepted by Him.
Always…
The Lord has had me in the middle of this lesson for the last month or so. And to be honest, I am still in the place of allowing all of it to fully sink into my heart—to take effect in the place of my mind. Sometimes these deeper things can take some time to fully sink into these places. It takes as long as it takes, and that is okay.
And sometimes it takes some “running into walls” in our “striving” in order for us to realize, that something is not working—something is not quite right.
“This way of mine, is not leading me… into abundant life.“
And we take the pain, and we gather up our broken hearts, and we run straight to the One who is the “Lover of our souls, the Mender of our broken hearts.”
He knows what we need in the deepest, darkest, empty places of our hearts, and only He can truly fill it.
And we get to the point, where we come to the lesson of learning to simply rest at His feet.
It is in this place, that these truths begin to really sink in…
“He loves me,
He accepts me,
He values me,
He cares for the condition of my heart.”
It is from learning to live in this place with Him, that we become filled to overflow again… and we’ll begin to overflow with JOY and love and compassion—sprouting and growing from the broken places He has mended in our hearts.
And all that we find ourselves so desperately chasing in life… really is an opportunity to step into the beautiful lesson of learning to be still, quietly sitting at His feet—”just me, free of any striving…simply being with Him.”
And it’s like I hear Him saying to those who are worn, and tired, and weary…
“Come, and sit with Me. Come, sit down, be still, and look into My eyes, and you will see… just how much I love you, for being nothing more, and nothing less, than simply. being. YOU.”
“Jesus entered a village where a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to His message. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations to be made. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her to help me!” …“Martha, Martha,” the Lord replied, “you are worried and upset about many things. But only one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, and it will not be taken away from her.”—Luke 10:38-42
“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”—Matthew 11:28-30
Thank You, Father. ☀️
“He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters…”
-Heather 🌺