The Truth That Sets Us Free From Trying to Get-It-All-Together
You will know the truth and the truth will set you free–maybe you’ve read these words in your Bible.
Maybe you’ve heard them in a sermon.
Read about them in a devotion.
Today I’m chatting about how knowing Christ as our way, our truth, and our life sets us free from the pressure to get it all together. Hope you enjoy a different format today. Below, you can find a transcript of the video if you’d prefer to read.
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More posts in this series:
If I Get it All Together, Where Will I Put It?
If I Get it All Together, How Much is Enough?
If I Get it All Together, How Long Do I Have to Keep it Up?
If I Get it All Together, What if I Trip Over It?
If I Get it All Together, What if I Mess it Up?
Video Transcription:
Do you ever worry about getting it all together? You know, you’ve got your life going in five thousand directions and your to-do list is as long as a roll of toilet paper. You know what I’m saying, right?! Don’t tell me that I’m the only one who has a crazy schedule like that. And maybe you’re like me… You say yes to too many things, and all of the sudden, all of the good things that you’re doing kind of spiral out of control, and you’re saying to yourself, “If I could just get it all together!”.
Anybody with me on that?
Well, I’ve been thinking very deeply about all of this and I’ve come to some pretty important conclusions and here’s one…
Strap your seatbelts on because this is good! If I get it all together, where am I going to put it? Do you ever think about that? Seriously, and if I get it all together and I figure out where I’m going to put it, how long do I have to keep it up? Is this something that is a once and for all shot of getting it together or is it something that I’ve got to do every single day, all day?
And what about when the kids need to eat dinner, do I still have to have it together? See, these are very important questions that we all need to know.
And if I get it all together, and somehow I manage to keep it all together, how long do I have to keep it up?
And what if I trip over it? I mean, that could be really bad, right?
So, I don’t know about you friends, but I have spent way too much of my life stressing and worrying about getting it all together. And, in reality how many of us know what “it” is? Can anybody tell me what this “it” is that we need to get together? You know, I know that “it” can be a pronoun or a noun, but you know what? I’m really not interested in a grammar lesson. I’m trying to get by here, right? And I think that you are too.
So, how do we get it all together in a way that enables us to walk in freedom? I think that God’s Word has some really wonderful truths that can help us with this challenging but realistic issue that we all face. You know, sometimes I think I need to stop trying to get it together and remember that I have a God who promises to put it together in my life.
Let me share with you a verse that has been very meaningful to me. And that is Thessalonians 5:23. I’m going to read it to you in the Message because this version makes a lot of sense to me. It’s one that kind of hits home. I study in other versions but sometimes just to relate, I like the Message. And this is what it says. “May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole put you together– spirit, soul, and body and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he’ll do it!”
I don’t know about you, but when I read that phrase, “the God who makes everything holy and whole, (making himself) put you together”, that little place in me that gets so stressed out trying to get it all together, took a big sigh of relief. It was a light bulb moment, really. Realizing, Wow! I can stop trying so hard because God promises to do the very thing that I’m trying to do and He’ll do it so much better. He will put me together spirit, soul and body.
Now, this reminds me of a truth that Jesus said in the Gospel of John. In John 8:32, he says, “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.” As long as the truth that I am building my life around and organizing my life around, is this nebulous concept of trying to get it together, which is really a performance-based way of living… meeting the standards of the world, seeking the approval of others, trying to be successful… all of those kinds of things and when we realize that we’re organizing our life around something that’s not true.
God never intended for us to get ourselves together. He wants us to trust Him and rely on Him to put us together. So, this John verse, “And you shall know the truth…”, right before that, Jesus is talking about when you abide in my Word, then you’ll be my disciples, and you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.
We don’t want to just take that verse by itself. When we take the time to abide in the Word, something wonderful happens, and that’s what He is talking about in John 8:32. What does it mean to abide?
Well, abide means to remain, to settle into. I kind of like to think of it like living in a house. If you buy a house and you just camp out on the front porch, you’re not really living there. But if you move everything in and settle in and make it your home, and really get comfortable there and that’s where you live your life from, now that is abiding.
Are we just running in to God’s Word like a drive thru window at McDonalds to get our happy meal to make our day good, or are we abiding in His Word?
Are we moving in and really settling in to what it says and embracing that as our truth?
Well, Jesus tells us that when we abide in His Word that we are His disciples. We’re His followers, His learners and that we will know the truth.
Friends, if we never take the time to really engage with God’s Word in a meaningful way we won’t know the truth that sets us free.
I’m not talking about you have your quiet time every single day and you read your Bible all the way through in a year. It’s not about following rules. I’m talking about relationship and where your heart is.
When we really engage with God’s Word, something wonderful happens. Like I said before, we will know the truth. Now that is a Greek word called ginosko. I love this word.
Knowing is about perceiving what’s true, knowing what’s true, and there is power in knowing what’s true. So we know the truth and that knowledge sets us free. Now, what does that knowledge set us free from? Well friends, one of the things that knowledge sets us free from is that trying to get it together life. That trying to get it all down perfectly, trying to be super successful and trying to have others approve of us, trying to be that perfect Mom and that perfect wife, that perfect professional.
When we abide in Christ’s Word and rest in Him, the truth (both the person and the word) sets us free and it sets us free. In Christ, we are to know the reality of what it is that we’re living for and the resource and source that we have in Christ to live from, and this is what sets us free.
Free from that trying to get it together life, free from habitual patterns of sin, the things that trip us up and hold us back in life. It also sets us free from the pressure of the flesh, that drive to get it all together to do it all perfectly, to impress others… you know what I’m saying.
It is a wonderful thing when we discover the truth of Christ’s Word and discover the power of His presence within us, and we learn to rest in that and trust that God will put us together… body, soul and spirit, and enable us to keep it together.
So, I don’t know about you but I am going to hang up my sign and just give it a rest on this get it together life. I’m going to trust the Lord more to show me the truth each day, to live in that truth, and let that truth set me free from the things that hold me back.
Many thanks to these friends for help with this video:
Videographer: Laura Wenzel
Transcriptionist: Barb Moses
Weehoo! We’re Publishing a Book!
[tweetthis hidden_hashtags=”#bookcontract, #holy #choosingGod”]Holy in the Moment, a debut book from Ginger Harrington releases in March 2018. Weehoo![/tweetthis]
Summer days are rushing past and here we are cruising into the middle of July. Not quite sure how that happened! You may be wondering why I’ve not been hanging out at GingerHarrington.com as frequently these days. Or maybe you’ve been busy living your own life and haven’t noticed that my last post was weeks ago.
Big news, Friends!
I’m thrilled to announce that I’m publishing my first book with Abingdon Press!
The book was contracted recently with a manuscript due date on November 1. This book baby will release in March and the writing schedule is brisk. Last week I learned the marketing team would like to have as many chapters as possible by August 21. (Trying not to hyperventilate . . .)
Most dreams take time, work, and space to grow into. More than developing skill and coming up with ideas, God has to grow us into the messages we have lived, so we can authentically tell our stories, and encourage others with humility and love. Publishing a book has been on my dream list since 2oo9. Many days I felt like I worked full time at a job I didn’t really have.
On discouraging days, I felt like a kid playing dress up insisting, “I want to be a writer when I grow up.” Waiting isn’t failure and God’s “not yet” doesn’t mean “not ever.”
In truth, these years have been far more productive, wonderful, and full than I ever dreamed.
Now the opportunity is here, my heart is a strange combination of giddy, grateful, and more than a little nervous. Choosing to trust God moment by moment and page by page is how outlines grow into books, children grow into adults, and blessings turn into miracles.
In the process of writing this book, I have to live it out, trusting God with every word. And you know what?
There’s no better place to be.
Here’s one thing I know for sure.
Every Christian book that makes it to the market place is a work of the body of Christ. Many people contribute to every book–those who teach, train, encourage, read, cheer, help, pray, and support.
However, prayer is the gift that truly brings a book from dream to reality. So thank you for reading and being a part of this grand adventure!
I invite you to join me as we pray this book forward until we hold it in our hands as God releases it into the world.
Ta-da! Here’s a sneak peek at the cover comp.
Introducing: Holy in the Moment
Holy moments change lives and steer destinies in God’s direction, but it all comes down to attitudes and choices made one moment at a time. What becomes possible when we stop trying to make ourselves better and simply trust God to guide, help and provide in each moment as it comes? What’s released when we intentionally reach for more of God in the moments of our days?
Though this word sometimes reeks of stale religion bound tightly with pious do’s and don’ts, holiness is a refreshingly simple concept. You won’t find it sitting on a shelf of musty, old books no one wants to read. When we look, we’ll discover the sacred in our everyday moments, not moments far off, hidden in prayers of monks or lost in whispers of saints.
Holiness in the moment can be as simple as our thoughts, words, and actions as we choose to love God, embrace truth, and enjoy life. Making intentional choices to trust God is where holiness happens right in the middle of an ordinary day.
A day just like today.
If we choose holiness in this moment, what difference could it make?
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
I hope you’re as excited as I am!
Maybe you’d like to share my news FB, Twitter, or Pinterest? That would be awesome!
Choosing holy. Choosing whole. One moment at a time.
If I Get it All Together, What if I Mess it Up?
The lights are bright blinding me in the harsh glare. I step forward to impress and wow the audience with my solo. It feels good to have a solo after several runs of chorus work.
Ready to sing, I step forward. . .
right off the stage.
My big moment.
The horrified, collective intake of breath from the audience seems to stop time.
I had it all together. One misstep and I land in a heap on the floor. Fortunately, nothing but pride was injured.
If I get it all together, what if I mess it up? Take a step too far, misjudge the gap? What then?
We’ve all had our messy moments.
Relationship messes.
Work messes.
Financial messes.
No area of life is immune from the possibility of unraveling our best efforts to get it all together.
Work hard.
Mess it up.
Work harder.
We can stay on this performance treadmill that can wear away the soul. Or we can learn new ways to think and respond.
Change your perspective.
[tweetthis]How will your perspective change if you begin to think the way God thinks, seeing what He sees about you?[/tweetthis]
Wisdom is the understanding of how God does things.
Freedom from the pressure to get it all together by the world’s definition of success comes when we learn to live in reliance on Christ.
Some of us need to stop living out of our mistakes, failures, wounds. Others need to stop relying on self-effort to achieve success and prove value.
Let God change the way you think. As He transforms our thoughts we begin to understand that life with Christ isn’t a pass/fail route to spiritual growth.
. . . be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.–Ephesians 4:23-24
God’s already dealt with our sin.
He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.–2 Corinthians 5:17
In Christ, God isn’t simply trying to get us to act right. All of our sin has been forgiven. Now He’s dealing with our righteousness, holiness, establishing right in us.
When we really get hold of this truth for daily life, we can let get off the performance-based system of getting it all together.
We can find rest for our souls, acceptance for our insecurity, strength for our weakness, and grace for our needs.
Do you trust the life of Christ in you?
[tweetthis]Listening to your soul-talk is a concrete way to gauge what you functionally believe. [/tweetthis]
Do you have yourself on a performance-based system of righteousness, always on stage before God? Is holiness a role that you play, trying to be the good Christian who has it all together?
Or have you learned the language of grace that speaks truth to yourself?
I am righteous.
I am loved and accepted.
I don’t have to prove my worth.
I can trust God for the results.
I can trust the Holy Spirit within me to guide me.
Do you talk the same way about yourself that God does? Good question, isn’t it?
It’s easy to look like we’ve got it all together on the outside but live in self-condemning, shame-based insecurity on the inside.
Today is your day to release your grip on the get-it-all-together life. Discover anew the fresh faith that is yours when you’re open to what God wants to do in your life.
Letting go of self enables us to receive more from God.
Offering our lives to God we can let go of our. . .
fear and receive confidence for the future.
needs and receive his abundant supply
wants and receive God’s desires
shame and receive the grace of God’s unconditional love
Friend, as long as we hang on to this get-it-all-together pressure of achieving righteousness with our self-effort, we live with the fear of messing it up.
Getting it wrong.
Disappointing God.
We hold on because of fear; we let go because of love.
As long as we hold on to the standards we’ve set for ourselves, the less we can receive the gift of righteousness and the abundance of grace that is ours in Christ. (Romans 5:17)
Grace is so much more than undeserved favor, a common definition.
Take time to receive the wonder that is yours in these words:
Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.–2 Peter 1:2-4.
Posts in this series:
If I Get it All Together, Where Will I Put It?
If I Get it All Together, How Much is Enough?
If I Get it All Together, How Long do I Have to Keep it Up?
If I Get it All Together, What if I Trip Over It?
Linking up here: Monday Minute
If I Get it All Together, What if I Trip Over It?
Do you drive half the folks around you crazy as you push full-throttle to prove yourself?
Ever been so focused on getting it all together that you lose an important part of yourself in the process? Maybe leave a trail of debris of brokenness behind your race to find your worth and grasp that IT that will make everything OK?
My idea of OK might be a little different than yours, but generally, the IT we seek has a lot to do with meeting our core needs to be loved, valued, accepted, secure, successful, or worthy.
As believers in Christ, it’s easy to bring this get-it-together-mindset into our spiritual lives. In religious talk, we call that walking in the flesh.
Without realizing it, we dress up this make-myself-alright-thinking, with lots of Bible study, church service, good deeds, and PG movies.
Friends, the struggle is real.
For a long time, I tried so hard to become the person I felt like I should be. The person others wanted me to be. And the person I thought God wanted me to be.
This person was a paragon of wisdom who always makes the right call. Organized, efficient, neat, successful at work, kind, knowledgeable, well-liked by all. . .
This got-it-together gal would never do air-headed things like leave the keys in the car door, forget about early dismissals, or purchase a plane ticket for the wrong date. She would get that promotion, and all her kids would earn scholarships to college.
Call it what you want—craziness, perfectionism, flesh, or even rampant professionalism . . .
[tweetthis]The harder we try to get it together, the easier it is to trip over it.[/tweetthis]
Have you tripped over a few of the struggles of trying to get it all together?
discouragement–when effort doesn’t lead to the result we desired
worry–insecurity of the get-it-together life leads to anxiety or pride
stress–multiplies when we lose perspective of who we are in Christ
fear–that we’ll never be enough or get what we need robs us of peace
comparison–life becomes a competition rather than a celebration
These are just a few of the subtle ways we can trip over our good intentions. The apostle Paul put it this way:
Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? Galatians 3:3
The shift from dependence on Christ to reliance on self-effort is a consistent temptation.
Learning new ways to think and respond
Renewal of our thinking is the essence of transformation. When sin, flesh, motivation, or attitudes trip us up, it’s encouraging to remember that God has already dealt with our sin.
Friend, today is the day to embrace who God says you are rather than trying to earn the acceptance and value that’s already yours.
[tweetthis]Rather than trip over performance-based righteousness, we trust the Holy Spirit to work in and through us.[/tweetthis]
For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.–Philippians 1:6.
Are we trusting God to complete his work in our lives or are we trying to finish the job for him?
God’s after something completely different than our getting it all together.
What if He’s far more interested in our deeply understanding how much we are loved and valued than what we can achieve in our self-effort?
Here’s a glimpse from my journal with a personalized version of Ephesians 3:16-19. Combining translations, definitions, spacing, emphasis, and notes to myself, I process truth on the page as God impresses it on my heart.
This is one of the ways He transforms and renews my thinking, freeing me from the pressure of trying to get it all together.
May he grant me– it’s a gift!
. . .to be strengthened and spiritually energized ( I don’t have to somehow make myself spiritually strong).
with POWER through HIS SPIRIT (not my effort, not my power)
in my inner self [indewelling my innermost being and personality]
SO THAT
Christ may DWELL in my heart THROUGH faith.
And may I
Having been (already done!!)
[deeply] rooted and [securely] grounded IN love,
be fully capable of comprehending
with all the saints
the width, length, height, depth of His love
[FULLY experiencing] that amazing endless love.
And that I come to know [practically, through personal experience] the love of Christ which far surpasses [mere] knowledge [without experience], that I
MAY BE FILLED [throughout my being] to
ALL the FULNESS of GOD
[so that I may have the richest experience of God’s presence in my life], completely filled and flooded with God HIMSELF.
Beyond all I can ask or think…
GOD CAN DO.
If we choose to believe and live in light of these powerful truths, we will no longer trip over the trying-to-get-it-together life.
Recent posts in this series include:
If I Get it All Together, Where Will I Put It?
If I Get it All Together, How Long Do I Have to Keep it Up?
This get-it-all-together thing can drive you right off the cliff of crazy if you let it.
Is it a once-and-for-all kind of thing, or do I have to somehow sustain this coveted image? Seriously, how long do I have to keep it up?
These are things we need to know. . . !
[tweetthis hidden_hashtags=”#notenough, #selfesteem, #selfimage”]Truth is, in Christ we’ve already got it together. [/tweetthis]
To be righteous is to be right, in a state of rightness. It is being as God created you to be, as you are designed to live. We talked about that here.
This get-it-all-together living is all about how well we perform. It’s an exhausting work of the flesh to try and try and try and try to reach this undefinable get-it-together standard.
Nothing will dampen faith and spiritual vitality faster than running yourself ragged trying to get it all right.
Self-effort will never get it all right.
Working to be right by our own efforts is really self-righteousness. So much of the Christian life is learning to understand and live in our God-given identity rather than simply trying to manage self better.
. . . he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. –John 15:5
We agree with this truth and then keep on trying to get-it-all-together on our own.
I need God to transform my thinking when . . .
I worry about what other’s think.
I react to criticism with anger or hurt.
I lecture myself about my mistakes.
I am defensive or hyper-sensitive.
I try to control other people.
I grieve my failures.
I fear rejection.
I create lists to improve myself.
I define myself based on what others say.
I believe I’m not enough.
I judge myself or others.
I feel like a disappointment to God.
I say, “I’ll never be ____ enough.”
I strive to prove my worth.
I relate to God out of fear or guilt.
I find fault with everything I do.
I wonder if God would love me more if I ____.
I worry about getting it all together!
There’s just WAY too much me in this list.
Way. Too. Much.
You can’t go two ways at once.
We can’t hang on to the get-it-together life of the flesh and walk in the Spirit. We can’t rely on self to get-it-all-together and experience freedom in Christ at the same time.
Believe me, I’ve tried.
I’ve tried to keep my house clean, raise amazing kids, and love my husband well. I’ve worked hard to pray, love God, study the Bible, teach Sunday school, and on an on it goes.
For heaven’s sake, by self-effort I can’t even keep the kitchen counters clean!
We have to make a choice.
Relying on Christ rather than self keeps faith fresh for this moment.
The power of recognition.
Choosing to let go of self-effort to get-it-all-together begins with awareness of our thoughts and motivations.
To be honest, I don’t begin every task thinking, “What’s the condition of my heart? Who am I relying on?”
Slowly, I’m recognizing when I’m trying to get-it-all together rather than trusting God to put-it-all-together.
[tweetthis hidden_hashtags=”#relyonChrist, #selfeffort”]Trusting rather than trying is the path freedom walks.[/tweetthis]
When I realize I’ve given way to this get-me-together thinking, I begin to think and respond differently.
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. . . Romans 12:2a
Instead of worrying about what others think, I choose to rely on Christ. “Lord, I’m depending on you to do this well, and I’ll trust you with what other’s think.”
Rather than fear rejection, I remind myself that I’m accepted by God. My prayer changes from “Help me do better” to “Lord, I trust you with this relationship. I rely on you to show me what to do.”
Which would you rather experience, the try-hard life of self-effort or the gift of righteousness in Christ?
Isn’t it time to stop all the trying to-get-it-all together?
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Enjoy the entire series:
If I Get it All Together, Where Will I Put It?
If I Get it All Together, How Much is Enough?
If I Get it All Together, How Long Do I Have to Keep it Up?
If I Get it All Together, What if I Trip Over It?
If I Get it All Together, What if I Mess it Up?
If I Get it All Together, How Much is Enough?
This post has been featured at JenniferDukesLee.com.
If I get it all together, how much is enough? How much together does it take?
Really, how much is enough? It’s enough to make your head spin right off your neck.
My friend sits on the front steps, holding the weight of too many burdens on her shoulders.
“I try so hard to be a good mom, but I feel like I’m not doing it right,” she says with a sigh. “I really need to get it all together.”
Why is it when we use the phrase, get-it-all-together, it’s never in a good way?
“Sometimes I’m patient, but then I lose my temper. If I were a better Christian, I wouldn’t get so frustrated at times. I want to be a better mom, but . . . ”
Without words, her body language finishes the sentence that hangs in the air: but I’m not.
[tweetthis hidden_hashtags=”#IdentityinChrist, #righteousness”]How much better do you have to be to be good enough?[/tweetthis]
How much more patience does it take to be patient enough?
How much more rightness does it take to be righteous enough?
How much is enough?
Friend, could it be that these are the wrong questions?
I believe God is more interested in teaching a new way to think rather than better ways to behave. There is freedom from this get-it-all-together insanity.
“. . .and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.–Ephesians 4:23-24
We get hung up on doing things right, but God wants us to know that we are righteous. In Christ, righteousness and holiness is a natural part of who we are.
Choosing to remember we are a new creation is putting on the new self. Being open to God’s transforming work in our mind is part of putting on (living out of) who we are in Christ: righteous and holy.
This is hard because we’re wired to measure value and identity out of how well we perform.
So what is righteousness anyway?
Is it just a churchy word that doesn’t seem to relate to real life and real people?
Righteousness is an incredibly practical word.
Out of sheer generosity he put us in right standing with himself. A pure gift. He got us out of the mess we’re in and restored us to where he always wanted us to be. And he did it by means of Jesus Christ.–Romans 3:24, The Message
In a broad sense, righteousness is defined as the state of him who is as he ought to be, righteousness, the condition acceptable to God. It includes integrity, virtue, purity of life, rightness, correctness of thinking feeling, and acting. (Strong’s 1343).
In other words, righteousness is thinking, feeling, and acting like the person God created us to be. As God renews our thinking to the truth, feelings and behavior begin to change.
This is why righteousness is such a practical concept. How we think, act, and feel–that’s where we live every moment of every day.
Defining righteousness based on feelings rather than truth.
If I feel right, I must be right.
If I feel guilty, I can’t be righteous.
If I feel I’m unrighteous, I must be.
And then we start in on the “I’ve got to get it all together” lectures.
In reality, righteousness. . .
Is a gift from God.
Is received rather than achieved.
Is who you are not what you do.
In Christ, righteousness is your identity by spiritual birth, not behavior.
Getting it all together
and doing all the right things won’t make us righteous.
God isn’t tapping his holy foot, impatiently waiting for us to finally get it all together. He still sees us as righteous even when we act sinfully or selfishly. (Because that’s who we are, not what we do).
The world definitely doesn’t operate this way.
Some days I feel like I’ve been brainwashed by the world’s system of performance and success. And though I know better, I sometimes find myself trying to be righteous by my own efforts.
That’s when I start to worry about getting it all together.
As if I’ve got something to prove rather than a gift to receive.
Working to be right by my own efforts is really self-righteousness.
“He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit” –Titus 3:5
As God renews my mind, I’m learning to let go of the pressure to get it all together and do it all right. Want to join me?
Together we can keep faith fresh with the freedom to stop asking the question, “How much is enough.”
[tweetthis]In the righteousness of Christ, who you are is just right[/tweetthis].
Trust God to work in your thoughts, feelings, and actions as you put on the righteousness you have given by God. Remember, God is the one who is making you holy and whole!
Linking up at: Monday Minute, Coffee For Your Heart, #Tell His Story, #PorchStories, and Dance With Jesus, Grace and Truth.
I’m tickled pink that this post has been featured at #TellHisStory, with Jennifer Dukes Lee, author of The Happiness Dare.
If I Get It All Together, Where Will I Put It?
Ever feel like your life is one big long project of self-improvement?
How much time do we spend trying to get it all together and make it all better?
A lot.
Well, at least I do. If this isn’t a thing for you, you can encourage the rest of us. . .
How much effort do we put into trying to feel like we’re enough? That we have what it takes?
I recently had a very spiritual AHA moment:
[tweetthis hidden_hashtags=”#busyness, #busywoman, #selfimage”]If I get it all together, where will I put it?[/tweetthis]
And by the way, what is IT?
Can anyone actually define the IT in get-IT-altogether?
For that matter, how much IT does it actually take to get it all together? How do we know how much does it take to be enough? There’s not a clear answer on this, is there?
To be honest, I’m tired of trying to get it all together. I’m relieved God is teaching me new ways to think about my life and who I am. He’s teaching me to have confidence that I’m a new creation and my life is not my project.
[tweetthis]Note to self: It’s a life, not a performance.[/tweetthis]
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.–2 Corinthians 5:17
This amazing truth sets us free from the constant striving to get ourselves together, to make ourselves better.
Our new-creation-self in Christ is not an improved, spiffed up version of self.
Jesus didn’t come to make us better, but to make us new.
We know this, but sometimes the distance from head to heart is greater than 12 inches. Getting from head-knowledge of facts to life-knowledge of experience comes one day at a time.
How do we learn to live this new-creation life?
In the book Grace Walk, Steve McVey writes, “When you believe you are a new creation of Christ, you won’t feel the need to act. You can just be yourself, allowing the nature of Christ within your spirit to flow through your personality and out of your life, like the river of living water…that flows from your innermost being.”
When we trust God with our identity, we discover that our life is not our project.
For all of us get-it-all-together addicts,
this is game-changing news!
We can let go of the pressure to get-it-all-together because God will put us together. This is the difference between getting by in our own resources and effort and walking by faith.
May God himself,
the God who makes everything holy and whole…
put you together—spirit, soul, and body—
and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ.
The One who called you is completely dependable.
If he said it, he’ll do it! 1 Thessalonians 5:23 MSG
Christ brings body, soul, and spirit in line with God’s design for our lives. In Christ, he puts it all together in us and brings forth our true identity. This is the joy of discovering our identity in Christ.
May God Himself–this is the personal touch of God, active and present in our lives. These verses are part of Paul’s prayer for believers. He asks for God to do something special. Something extraordinary, and something we cannot do for ourselves.
This is how to get it all together! It’s a work that only Christ can do.
This is what God delights to do–He is a God of wholeness, bringing all of us back into completeness that we were created for.
Spirit. Soul. Body.
This is wholeness: complete in all its parts, in no part wanting or unsound. Another translation says, sanctify you entirely.
This is no half-way kind of talk.
God is in the process of making us all-the-way whole and holy. This is sacred work that only God can do, an identity only God can give. There are no half-measures with God.
He will not leave you half-done, part-way.
For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. –Philippians 1:6
When we get discouraged with our flesh, thinking I don’t have it together…I’m not the woman I need to be…When we start down that bumpy road, God wants to encourage us. He will put us together—body, mind, and soul—he will bring it to completion.
So we can relax.
And breathe.
And let go of trying to do it all perfectly.
Yes, indeedy!
Let’s trust God to do what He says. Isn’t it time to get out of God’s way and let the Holy Spirit do the things He wants to do in our lives. How will life be different if we stop living like our life is a project rather than a life in Christ?
Related Post:
If I Get it All Together, How Much is Enough?
15 Power Truths About God to Ignite Your Faith
As I step into my bedroom, darkness seems to swallow me in thick blackness. Without the normal faint glow from the night light in the hall, I feel disoriented. Hands groping along the wall, I’m careful with every step. Hesitant and unsure, with hands stretched forward, I inch my way to the bed, not wanting to stub my toe on the dresser.
Ever feel like your life is like walking in that dark room?
Darkness wears many faces.
- Physical darkness
- Emotions, thoughts, and actions can be dark as well.
- Dark situations can lead us to despair.
- Confusion is a mental darkness as we search for answers, trying to make sense of tragedy or rejection.
How do we keep faith fresh in the darkness?
Consider how David faces dark challenges in Psalm 27.
The Lord is my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?–Psalm 27:1
God is light and salvation in every situation. Friend, circumstances, and emotions can be a wild ride, but God never changes. What a difference light makes in the darkness.
What a difference light makes in the darkness.
Shining in the darkness of confusion, God’s light brings understanding by illuminating what we cannot see for ourselves. As God shines His light and we can see what is revealed.
Salvation: deliverance and help
Whom shall I fear?
Before David mentions his situation, he affirms that God is his light and salvation. Don’t miss this practical step. Speaking truth to ourselves is a holy habit that ignites faith. Saying it aloud is a way of shining God’s light into your darkness.
Overcome fear by looking at your situation in light of God’s presence and strength.
Trust God to lead you on His level path:
- Physical level place: Remember the relief of a level path after a strenuous uphill climb?
- Spiritual level place: righteousness, to make straight–bringing our thoughts, emotions, and decisions in line with the rightness of God’s nature.
- Emotional level place. Fear triggers many emotions, tempting us to react to feelings rather than respond with faith. Feelings can drive our actions and shape our truth if we let them.
- Mental level place–wisdom to know what to do in the challenge. It is also the quality of remaining focused and calm in our thoughts.
Light of truth overcomes despair.
As David faces his enemies, he strengthens his faith by reminding himself, affirming what is really true: God is my light and salvation.
I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.–Psalm 27: 13
Note to self: It takes light to see God’s goodness.
Many times my experience has been more like this: I totally lost it. Consumed with anxiety, I am nearly giving up. I hope I’ll see the goodness of God, but I’m a wreck.
[tweetthis hidden_hashtags=”#faith #fightfear #trustGod”]Don’t let feelings define your faith.[/tweetthis]
David experienced a victory by not allowing his emotions shape his belief about the situation.
He held fast to the unchanging fact that God is good.
Even though God is good, hard days will come.
Maybe you’re stuck in the middle of a mess right this moment. Are you dangling over the edge with nothing solid beneath your feet?
[tweetthis]Hold on to the truth that God is good, and believe that you will see His goodness.[/tweetthis] In the land of the living.
Waiting can be a hard place to be. This kind of waiting means to expect, look forward to, linger for, as well as to bind together.
“To wait for the Lord is to make the Lord the clinging place of the soul, and therefore the resting place, and therefore the growing place.”–J. H. Jowett.
15 powerful truths about God to ignite your faith.
Seeking guidance? Facing a strong enemy? Struggling in a difficult situation?
If you missed part 1 of this post, check out 5 Things You Need to Know About God’s Guidance which covered Psalm 25:1-5.
Click here to read both Psalm 25 and 27 fully. What else can you to the following lists?
Read aloud the following truths and let the Holy Spirit energize your faith. Listen to God’s heart as truth speaks life to your soul:
God is my I AM who…
- is completely trustworthy. Ps. 25:1
- keeps me from shame and disappointment. Ps. 25:1
- causes me to know His ways. Ps. 25:4
- teaches me His paths, His way of living. Ps 25:4
- leads me in truth. Ps. 25:5
- saves and delivers me. Ps. 25:5
- is worth waiting for. Ps. 25:5
- sheds light in my darkness. Ps. 27:1
- protects me; I do not need to give into fear. Ps. 27:1
- leads me on level paths. Ps. 27:11
- provides hope to overcome despair. Ps. 27:13
- is always good. Ps. 27:13
- enables me to experience His goodness. Ps. 27:1
- revives, refreshes, and renews my heart. Ps. 27:13
- strengthens me with courage and boldness. Ps. 27:14
What’s our part?
In the verses we’ve covered from Psalm 25:1-5 and 27 what was David’s action? What is our part? Declare to your soul that you will depend on God to do the following:
Relying on God, I will:
- Receive God’s teaching
- Follow truth
- Remember God is my salvation
- Be willing to wait for God
- Look for God’s light
- Resist fear
- Follow His leading
- Believe I will see His goodness
- Receive God’s strength
- Confidently expect God
For this moment, make the holy choice to receive all that God provides. Embrace the truth of who He is and what He does. Receiving invites God to go to work.
4 Worshipful Ways to Remember the Resurrection Every Day
An Easter devotion to inspire you to embrace the power of the resurrection of Jesus every day. Biblical wisdom to celebrate Easter throughout the year.
Easter comes softly, opening like the azaleas blooming in my back yard. In a busy life, Easter sneaks in, quietly overlooked in the blare of traffic, the push of work, and the constant motion of home and family.
Preparing our hearts for Easter is easily nudged aside. For this moment, stop the scurry and take a breath. Still your thoughts and discover the refreshing power of remembering.
A thread of connection between past and present, between temporal and eternal, the act of remembering is a practical part of worship.
Sometimes remembering is retrieving a lost thought, forgotten somewhere along the way. “Oh, now I remember…”
And then there is a spiritual practice of remembering—intentionally placing something on the forefront of our attention. The word remember is peppered throughout Scripture. Guarding our wayward and forgetful hearts, the practice of remembering opens the way for the Holy Spirit to work in our thoughts, feelings, and actions.
Every. Single. Day.
Beyond all this, remembering becomes a tribute of honor, meaningful in the holiness of worship.
4 Worshipful Ways to Remember the Resurrection Every Day
Remember the first resurrection day.
Discover the power of celebrating the resurrection of Jesus every day. #easter #easterdevotion #resurrection Share on X
Hearts heavy with grief pressed down hard, women approached the tomb to find the stone is rolled away. Far beyond the ability of a single man to move, the stone no longer seals the grave where Jesus was placed.
Thoughts and emotions tangled and fought to make sense of the inexplicable. They entered into the tomb to discover His body was gone as two men appeared:
While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men suddenly stood near them in dazzling clothing; and as the women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living One among the dead? He is not here, but He has risen.”–Luke 24:4-6a
1. Remember Jesus is alive.
He is not dead.
He is not absent.
He has conquered sin and delivered us from the power of death.
In the confusion and grief of the moment, God sent a message to these women, and to us as well. How often do we, like the women at the tomb, need to remember our Lord is very much alive?
Every. Single. Day.
2. Remember His words.
“Remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee, saying, ‘the Son of Man must be delivered…'”–Luke 24:6b
Our Easter joy is in the power of this news–He has risen. The triumph of Easter is powerful, life-giving, world-changing news we need to remember. Every. Single. Day.
With our focus on Jesus’ resurrection, it’s easy to bypass the instruction of the angels at the tomb:
Remember what He said.
Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James had heard Jesus teach the Scriptures, and they also heard his personal words spoken through relationship over time. How many conversations had they had with Christ over the years?
How many memories?
How many messages had He spoken to their hearts?
In these conversations, Christ had explained what would happen–words that didn’t make sense at the time. Didn’t make sense at the moment, but in this moment it all became clear.
Now they remembered.
And now they understood.
Remembering what Christ said enabled them to understand a situation beyond their human experience. Remembering and understanding gave them powerful news to share with the others.
Remembering opened the door to greater joy through deeper understanding.
[tweetthis]Make time to listen, learn, and remember the words of Jesus.[/tweetthis]
Every. Single. Day.
3. Remember to return and report.
And they remembered His words, and returned from the tomb and reported all these things to the eleven and to all the rest.–Luke 24:8-9
Remembering isn’t’ just for our benefit, not just for our faith, not just for our moment. The holy act of remembering is for returning to our places, homes, offices, communities to share the truth that Jesus lives.
And it is for reporting what we have experienced–the power of God’s word as it meets our experience–revelation.
Hearts that remember are able to remind others in their moments, their needs, and their hard places. We have the privilege of helping others to remember what Christ has said. Sharing this post is a great way to do this.
Every. Single. Day.
4. Remember Jesus is Savior, Lord, and Life.
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to theFather but through Me.–John 14:6
Remembering the resurrection–the truth that Christ is our Life is a worshipful way to great every day. Trusting in Christ for every need is remembering the resurrection in a way that will daily impact your life. [tweetthis]Don’t forget to enjoy the fresh life of Christ, bringing joy and strength that makes each day count.[/tweetthis]
Happy Easter, friends! Be blessed and be a blessing as you keep faith fresh by remembering to live fully in the life of Christ.
Every. Single. Day.
More Easter Devotions from Ginger
Hope Rises
Easter Will Not Be Cancelled
Are We Willing?
Family Traditions Create Special Memories
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Learn about Ginger’s award-winning book from Abingdon Press.
A powerful encouragement for anyone who struggles to overcome anxiety, perfectionism, insecurity, or other mindsets that hold us back. Grow in holiness without the pressure of having everything “just right.” Through gentle encouragement, biblical insights, and applicable ideas you can experience a deeper life of freedom in Christ. Transparently sharing my own struggles, I want to help you live from the reality of hope, healing, and holiness.
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