Originally published Wednesday, 06 January 2016.
I have observed, both in my own life and the lives of others, that if there has been a significant amount of damage done to the soul because of rejection from people, the person will often so many times try to overcompensate for their weakness by performing to gain the approval, love, or applause of men.
They start to believe that their worth and value is somehow directly related to what they can accomplish in this life and not simply just who they are, and ultimately and most importantly, who God says they are. This type of lifestyle and mentality will only lead to weariness, anxiety, and all too often, depression.
[bctt tweet="Don't seek to prove yourself to the world, or even God for that matter."]
Stop striving and start resting.
"We will not experience true rest in our souls until we accept the Lord's invitation to lay our burdens [and brokenness] at His feet." -Rest Assured: a Recovery Plan for Weary Souls by Vicki Courtney
That quote reminds me of the story of Martha and Mary:
MARY AND MARTHA WORSHIP AND SERVE
Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’[k] feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.” And Jesus[l] answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her." (Luke 10:38-42 NKJV)
Martha's striving and serving caused her to miss a truly exceptional experience with Jesus. I'm not sure if Martha struggled with finding her worth or not, but it was clear that she was stressed about the fact that she was having to serve the Lord in her home without any help, asking Jesus, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone?" (Luke 10:40)
That verse says that she was worried and distracted. My goodness, I have been there more times than I can count and the Lord is working that out in me, most definitely, in this season.
What about you?
Are you feeling distracted, burdened, or weighed down? Are those worries causing weariness?
What you need is the rest of heaven.
Rest in the Greek means "to refresh."
The world cannot offer us refreshing rest or peace from the cares and stresses of life, only God can.
Don't seek to find rest for your weary soul in your performance. Seek to find rest in Christ's performance on the Cross.
Rest in the shadow of the Cross and leave your burdens and brokenness behind. Choose the good part, like Mary, and rest at the feet of Jesus and listen to His word.
It's from this place of rest, trusting and believing you are worthy, and again, not because of what you can accomplish, but simply because you are a Blood-bought child of God, that God wants to then use you to tell others the glorious news, the gospel of Jesus Christ!
If you are looking for love or searching for your worth, know that you can find it in the arms of Jesus Christ- the One who loves you and treasures you so much that He died for you to experience total freedom from the sin and addictions that so easily ensnare us as we encounter total unbroken fellowship with your Heavenly Father from now into eternity.
Now it's your turn: What is distracting you from the refreshing rest of God?
Check out more of my blogs on www.emilyrosemassey.com! Also, visit my website for more information on how to stay connected with me, as well as info about my book Yielded in His Hands- now available on Amazon.com!
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