By: Jenny White
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight”
Proverbs 3:5-6
Anyone else feel like it’s only a few weeks into the semester and they already feel behind? Well I sure do, and in order to play this game of catch up I know I need to wake up earlier and grind harder. Oh! and I can’t forget to work out every day, go to Theta Alpha events, have intentional friendships, remember to respond back to that text, do laundry, and like my mom always reminds me, “drink lots of water.”
One of my favorite authors Bob Goff writes, “It’s easy to confuse a lot of activity for a purposeful life.” The same is true with God. When I know I’m not right with Him, I feel like I need to do more to reach out to Him. Pray more, read more, worship more, volunteer more, go outside more, or do more devotionals like this one. Here’s a new one for ya: Stop doing.
To be clear, this is not to say you shouldn’t do these things (I mean of course you should read my devos!) However, what I am trying to hit on is to reverse your mindset. Instead of doing greater for God, give yourself greater to God. Then the rest will follow.
1 Corinthians 2:16 says “we have the mind of Christ.” I feel like sometimes we think to0 lightly about the whole Holy Spirit thing. At least I do. I guess I blame it on how human I am. But for real, WE are walking temples of the Lord (1 Corinthians 6:19). A piece from heaven literally dwells within us, and it’s that spirit inside us which completes the Holy Trinity. Oftentimes I’ll catch myself saying “I have zero patience,” but Jesus tells us we lack no spiritual gift. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control—we possess them all. It’s not that I’m not a patient person, I just might not be exercising it enough. But good news! God will multiple our ‘limited’ like nobody’s business. Give God greater access to those gifts and you’d be amazed at what he can do with them.
Within the past year, so many people I loved walked out of my life for reasons beyond my understanding. This hurt is unlike any other hurt I have ever felt. It cuts deep and stings with every thought. I don’t know why these things have to happen, but I do know God. And God says trust me anyway. “Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it” (Luke 17:33).
That being said, this is not an easy task!! In fact, I think this is the single-most difficult thing about being a Christian. And yet, Jesus lays out our instructions so plain and simple: “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalms 46:10) —know that what Jesus did for you is greater than anything you’re going through. With this, understand that submitting to the Lord is not passively receiving—it’s actively taking hold of what he is offering and engaging in the process. This means forgiving, letting go, listening, and trusting. It’s a choice I have to make every single day when that sting comes shooting back.
There is probably a lot we could do to earn a certain grade, but there is nothing we can do to earn God’s love—yet we are drowning in it. That my friends, is the blessing we call grace. Therefore, the least we can do is love Him back. Oftentimes, this looks like praying, reading His word, or doing those things I said before. But praying with a closed heart isn’t praying much at all. Instead of asking God to change your situation, give yourself more fully to the Lord, and ask him to align your heart with His. Keep trusting, keep being patient, and keep remembering to Let Go and Let God.
