How many times in life have I started getting stressed about the way things are going?
I start thinking about all the things I haven’t done. I dwell on the dreams that never quite materialized. I think about all the things I need to do, all the things I want to do, and all the things I think I should be doing.
Before long, I’m overwhelmed. Anybody else?
I think some of this goes a little deeper for me. I grew up as a very imperfect preacher’s daughter. And because I was talked about and criticized quite a bit, I learned some pretty unhealthy ways of thinking. I still battle those distorted thoughts that tell me I’m never good enough and I’m never doing enough.
Put all those things together, and some days I’m just a mess!
I have accumulated degrees and certifications because, if I’m really honest, I’ve spent a lot of my life trying to prove my worth. I try (usually unsuccessfully) to keep everybody happy. I put a lot of pressure on myself to get things right, do things right, and be enough.
And here’s something I’ve been thinking about: Sometimes, because of my early experiences, I find myself trying to BE God instead of simply trusting God.
I want to be perfect. I want to have all the answers. I want to make everything work out. I want to meet everybody’s expectations. I want to be enough for everybody.
But that’s not my job!
My job isn’t to be God. My job is to trust Him to be God.👌
My devotion today came from Zechariah 4:6b: “Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.”
I love this verse! The message is pretty simple, but it’s something I think we all need to be reminded of from time to time. What God accomplishes doesn’t depend on our human strength, ability, or efforts. His purposes are accomplished through His Spirit.
Now, that doesn’t mean we sit around and do nothing. We still have responsibilities. We still work, dream, plan, and take steps toward the things we want to accomplish. But there’s a difference between doing our part and believing everything depends on us. And I think a whole lot of our stress comes from confusing the two!
We spend so much time worrying about how everything is going to turn out. We worry about our future, our families, our finances, our dreams, our accomplishments, and whether we’re doing enough.
We spend so much energy trying to make everything happen that sometimes we forget who’s actually holding everything together.
Colossians 1:16-17 reminds us that all things were created through Him and for Him, and that in Him all things hold together. Romans 11:36 tells us: “For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things.”
Think about that for a minute. God isn’t just somewhere watching everything unfold. He is the Creator, the sustainer, and the One who holds it all together.
That’s pretty powerful and DEFINITELY someone we can trust!
So maybe the answer isn’t doing more. Maybe it’s learning to trust the One who has power over everything more.
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
My strategy for de-stressing…
I’m learning that sometimes the best thing I can do when I feel overwhelmed is stop, take a breath, and remind myself of a few things:
1. I am not responsible for controlling every outcome. I can make good decisions, put in the effort, and do my best. The rest belongs to God.
2. My worth isn’t determined by my accomplishments. I don’t have to earn the right to feel valuable. I was created with worth, and I don’t have to spend my life trying to prove it.
3. I cannot make everybody happy. And honestly, that’s okay! Other people’s expectations don’t have to become my life.
4. I can have dreams without making them my source of happiness. It’s wonderful to have goals and things we’re working toward, but we don’t have to spend every day feeling behind because we haven’t accomplished everything yet.
5. I need to depend on God’s Spirit instead of constantly depending on my own strength. That’s what Zechariah 4:6 is reminding me.
And maybe most importantly, I need to give myself permission to be human- To be imperfect. To make mistakes. To change directions. To have unfinished dreams. To have days when I don’t get everything done.
Now… one last thing…
Y’all, I think sometimes we make life so much harder than it has to be.
We carry around expectations that God never placed on us. We try to live up to standards that aren’t even realistic. We exhaust ourselves trying to prove something to people who may never be satisfied anyway.
And somewhere in the middle of all that, we forget to enjoy the life we’ve been given.
So today, I’m reminding myself (and maybe you need this reminder, too): You don’t have to be God. You don’t have to have all the answers. You don’t have to make everything happen. You don’t have to be perfect. You just have to do your part and trust Him with His.
Not by might. Not by power. But by His Spirit. Maybe that’s a pretty good strategy for de-stressing! 
Extra Reading—Scripture references: Zechariah 4:6; Colossians 1:16-17; Romans 11:36.
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