As a child, I was a serious person. I took life way too seriously. I placed my worth and value in my grades and people's perceptions of me, and was naturally just a less humorous person. As I've grown older and matured in my faith, I've realized I don't need to take life so seriously. As my faith has grown, so has my ability to relax, and allow God to take control of my life.
But this is easier said than done. This was not an easy thing for me to change since I spent my whole life being serious.
At home, I was sometimes yelled at or punished if I was being too silly. This taught me to be serious early in life which I carried with me into adulthood. However, God has surrounded me with people like my husband and my father who were humorous and take life as it comes.
I've learned from them to be more relaxed, less anxious, and more willing to surrender over areas of my life that I can't control. Here are some ways I learned to take myself less seriously:
As I read the Word more with each passing year, I realize just how many times God desires for us to give him control of our lives.
This is a concept I've spent most of my life trying to fight. In this individualistic, “earn your way” society in which we live, it's been more difficult for me to lay down my control and be willing to surrender my life to God. But as I've seen throughout Scripture, the more I choose to give my life over to God, the more he blesses me and allows His plans to succeed.
For example, Exodus 14:13-14 is an example of how God can fight for us if we lay down our best plans: “Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”
The entire rest of the text is a demonstration of what God does when they lay down their weapons. Laying down their weapons when they see themselves being surrounded by an army and in fear of their lives, it would be easy for them to keep their sword and want to fight.
Yet, when they laid down their weapons, God demonstrated He can do miraculous things when we step out of the way and let Him lead, which helps us to relax and have more levity in life.
God wants us to surrender control of our lives over to Him, but will we do it?
A former professor of mine once talked about how he felt God wanted him to “up the fun factor.” This professor encouraged us to do more fun things.
For example, when he was out at a conference, he would drive around in a fancy car rental and see the sights. Or he and his wife would go out to a fancy restaurant, get dressed up and enjoy the finest foods. Whatever was fun to them, that's what they did, regardless of price.
While that may not be acceptable for everyone to do, it is important to enjoy life as life goes by quickly. A few weeks ago, I discovered that that professor passed away unexpectedly. I'm glad that he lived a life that honored God but also someone who knew how to be fun.
I want to be someone who's known to be fun in life.
In this society where we are praised for being busy, it is frowned upon to waste time doing nothing. Yet, God wants us to have fun, and take breaks not only throughout our day but also a twenty-four-hour break and practice Sabbath.
Additionally, if we can afford it, he wants us to take vacations often so we can reset our minds and hearts, let go of our emotional baggage and stress, and be calmer to face life’s everyday troubles.
Scripture says, “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow has enough troubles of its own” (Matthew 6:34). Laying down work and replacing it with something fun allows me to lay down my troubles for a few hours, forget my worries, and just have fun.
Whether that's taking a walk with my family, watching a movie, or even sipping a latte, I know that God wants me to take breaks from my emotional, mental, and physical well-being.
When I ignore these things and opt to work instead, I forget that life is also meant to be fun and that God wants us to enjoy our lives as well.
One of my favorite passages in the Bible is the story of the woman who clings to the hem of Jesus’ garment (Luke 8:43-48). Having been subject to bleeding for twelve years, she was desperate and without hope.
She took great faith for her to step out and touch the hem of his garment. As someone whom society would have deemed unclean, she was being treated like a leper. She would have ruined Jesus' ministry to have gone near him or even touched him.
Yet, she knew that He was the only one who could heal her infirmity. When Jesus turns around and asks who touched me, she admits she had, and He immediately heals her because of her great faith.
I have had many rock-bottom moments in my life. I've had years of my life where nothing in my life was going well. These are the moments when I clung to God the most, like I was literally hanging on to the hem of His garment, hoping for just a little bit of His touch on my life.
As I've learned to cling to God and not on my own merits, I have learned to not take life so seriously.
I take life seriously when I believe it's in my own hands. But when I take my hope out of my own hands and place it into Jesus’ hands and believe that even a little bit of the hem of His garment will touch my life in a positive way, that's when I've learned to take life as it comes.
With every trial with Jesus at the head of our lives, I know that even a little bit of Jesus is better than nothing at all.
While I hope no one goes through what I've gone through in life, I do believe that the trials I have endured have helped me grow closer to God in ways I never would have if I had not endured those same trials.
Those difficult times have been the times when they've been the most fruitful for my soul. It has caused me to cry out to God when I’ve had nothing. I have spent time in prayer begging God to help me. I've understood that without Him I can do nothing. I am literally attached to Him. If I break away from Him and try to do things in my own strength, I know my life will fall apart.
Yet, I cling to the hope that God will hear my cry, see my repentant way, and choose to help me. When I cling to this belief, I don't have to take life seriously because I know there's someone who is ultimately in control of my life. And that's the most relaxing part of it all.
We can either choose to take life into our own hands and remain in control and take life too seriously. Or we can cling to God, knowing that without Him we can do nothing.
When we choose to surrender and give up control, when we increase our faith and fun, and practice normal rest periods, God's will is to hear our prayers and steer us in His direction.
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