You Can Stop Striving and Hustling Now, Mama
In the season of goal setting and "this is your year" it can be really easy to fall into hustle culture.
However, in the Lord, we don't have to strive our hustle. We have to have faith in Him, walk with Him, and allow Him to meet our good works with His supernatural abilities. We get to walk in surrender and freedom while the rest of the world strives.
Of course, this can be difficult to do. If you're anything like me (the ultimate achiever) slowing down and walking in the Lord's timing while watching what seems like everyone else making leaps and bounds ahead of you, can make you feel like you're behind schedule or like you're not doing something "right."
You begin to question whether you're on the right path, what it is you're doing wrong, or why is it that God isn't concerned with your goals that matter to you.
We forget, when we're so focused on quick results, that the lasting results come from the sowing, pruning, and waiting. We forget that God is working in the background. He's busy protecting us from things we aren't ready to receive yet. He's busy preparing us to be fully ready to receive that next milestone or result.
He wants us to be bear fruit. Good fruit. Fruit that is perfectly ripe. Not fruit that has been picked off the tree before it's time.
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
Matthew 11:28-30 MSG
This verse beautifully tells us that we don’t have to strive. We don’t have to hustle. We get to walk in the unforced rhythms of grace - living freely and lightly.
Hustle culture leaves us weary and burdened. It tells us lies of perfectionism and results-focused success when our true success lies in Jesus, and in reality, it's very simple. Love God will all our heart and soul and love our neighbor as ourselves. We are also called to seek Him, give thanks in everything, pray without ceasing, and make His name known. If we are true to His will and staying rooted in Him, we can lea e the results to Him and believe that whatever they are, they will be successful in His eyes. He will complete the good work in us. We get to rest in that.
11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. 12 I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; 13 also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God's gift to man.
- Ecclesiastes 3:11-13
I love that God wants us to take pleasure in our lives while trusting Him to make everything beautiful in its time.
So what does this all mean for us go-getters, achievers, and intentional-living doers? Does this mean we stop working hard? Does this mean we just walk around and wait for some huge sign from God to go do something? What about all those goals we have?
Instead of focusing on results, focus on intention.
I truly believe that choosing to live for Jesus is choosing to live with intention. In order to live the life He. has called us to, we must be intentional with our time, our actions, our heart posture, seeking Him, everything. We do want to pursue excellence. We want to give God our best effort. Not to earn His love or right-standing, but simply because we love Him and are grateful for this life He has given us. God has the results in His hand and He will keep them there until we are ready for Him. Our job is to take faithful, obedient action on the one step that's ahead of us.Seek Him for wisdom as you pursue your goals.
Seek Him for His purpose for your goals. Remember that when you delight in Him, he does give you the desires of your heart, and I believe that means that He replaces our worldly desires with His desires. So, the goals you're thinking about right now are good goals and he has more than likely given them to you so that you can bear good fruit. Whether they are goals that are aligned with your health and wellbeing so that you can have more energy for your kids or whether they are related to a dream He's placed on your heart to open a dance studio, each good goal He has given you to bring Him glory.Know when it’s time to run back to Jesus.
If it turns into hustling instead of a peaceful pursuit of excellence, it's time to run back to Him. That's a sign that we've gotten caught up in making that goal an idol and it's time to repent and come back to the throne of grace.
Hustle culture is all around us. Especially in this new year. Set some boundaries, guard your heart, acquire an accountability partner who will remind you to rest in Jesus and call you out when you begin hustling or striving. Be that person for her, too.
God is calling us to make so impact in His Kingdom so let's go pursue all the He has for us and make His name known.
Featured in this episode:
My FREE Permission To Dream Workshop is on Wednesday, January 13th at 8:30p EST! YAY! This workshop is exactly what you need to help you confidently pursue those big dreams on your heart without sacrificing your mamahood and without the mom-guilt. Come join us for a jam-packed night of learning and action-step-taking. See you there!
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