As a teen girl, I pushed back against the sadness I felt by hustling for my worth and striving for perfection. I believed that if I could become my ideal self, my insecurities would disappear and my melancholy would fade. Unfortunately, this is a mode of operation too many of us function in.
Psalm 46:10 says: “Cease striving and know that I am God.“
What if you stilled your soul; if you exhaled? What if instead of hustling to be perfect, you relaxed into the perfect love of God who loves you the same at your best and worst? What if instead of striving to be seen and known by others, you found joy in being seen and known by the God who chose you before the foundation of the world and loved you into existence? How could your life be different if, instead of wondering if you are enough, you finally believed that in Christ, you are way more than enough? And not only are you enough, you’ll never be too much.
It delights the heart of our Heavenly Father when we exhale and find refuge in His presence. Your Maker isn’t demanding perfection of you. His desire is your company – your companionship. Not perfection, but your presence. When we abide in God, we become fully alive. We become radiant in body, mind, and spirit with light in our eyes and joy in our hearts.
When we abide in Christ and remain in Him as He remains in us, as a branch remains in a vine, we effortlessly become the fully alive version of ourselves we were created to be. Imagine how free you could be if instead of striving to be perfect, you settled your soul into the presence of your Creator, Savior, and Friend?
What could your life become if you stopped striving, relaxed into the unconditional love of God, and stilled your soul in His presence? Imagine how delightfully free you could be!
