I'm constantly reminded that we live in such an ambition driven culture, and whether it's at home, at work, in business or even at church we can so easily, sometimes without even realising it, become slaves to striving - defining our success by our to-do lists and endlessly trying to earn the approval of others by our activity and appearance.
As women, it can be such a pressure to look at those around us and think they've got it all together. Convinced that we too, if we try hard enough, can miraculously transform into 'Wonder Woman' minus the cape!
Sound familiar??
Well let's take a moment to be honest and put this fantasy to rest: NONE of us have got it all together!
There have been many times in my life where I've become such an expert at doing simply the best swan impression ever witnessed - making it look like everything is cool, calm and collected on the surface while underneath that water my feet have been flailing chaotically trying desperately to keep me afloat.
Can I be completely honest here? Living like that is nothing short of exhausting and it's exactly the opposite of how we were created to do life.
I can gladly say that now, for the most part, what people see is how it really is - partly because it's so liberating to release yourself from the pressure of having to be like everyone else, and partly because - well - I knew that if I didn't change and learn to live differently very soon, I'd be heading straight for a total meltdown!
The answer? Running headlong into the arms of my daddy God and admitting that I hadn't got a clue what I was doing or how to do this life well anymore and that I desperately needed His help!
Put simply - SURRENDER!
My plans, my hopes, my desires, my goals, my to-do list, my accomplishments so far (and my pride in them) - all laid down at His feet and exchanged for His incomparable, unfathomable love, His rest, His peace, His joy and HIS yoke - which scripture clearly told me was LIGHT - not the heavy, cumbersome and sometimes downright strangling version that I had taken a lifetime to create for myself.
'Find rest my soul in God alone'
The words of the psalm sound so serene, so peaceful, and yet how many of us really live in that place? The place where His presence truly satisfies our every longing and where His peace permeates the deepest places of our souls and speaks to our hearts that 'just us' is enough?
True peace and true rest, even right in the midst of the busyness can ONLY be found in the arms of the One who created us. He knows the plans He has for us. He knows every detail of the blueprint way in advance and exactly how it will all be accomplished.
So, whether you're feeling like you're at the height of success and productivity, or whether you're just moments away from throwing in the towel and giving up on the life you once thought was possible - why not come to Him today, choose His rest, His yoke, His plan and His perfect timing and know that 'just you' is enough!
