Don't Look Horizontally
Don’t look horizontally for what you can only find vertically. Don't look to the things of this world or to the people around you to satisfy you, give you self-worth, or make you feel successful. No approval, applause, or praise will ever be anything more than temporary. Sure, it can make us feel great in the moment…but that’s about it. No matter how much money we make, no matter how many material things we collect, nothing will ever be enough. There will always be something else that we want, something new, something more. Only when we set our eyes on our Savior, when we look vertically, will we find true satisfaction and contentment. Looking vertically frees us from needing success or acceptance to “feel good about ourselves.”
We Can Never Do Enough
The good thing is, God doesn’t want us to do “enough.” He doesn't expect us to do “enough.” He IS enough. Our God is a faithful God who endures whenever we don’t. He swoops us (his imperfect and sinful children) up into his loving, grace-filled arms and sees us for who we are. 2 Corinthians 12:9 says, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” This verse amplifies the beauty of our relationship with Jesus: it’s not about what we’re doing, or what we can do, it’s about what he does in and through us. His power is made perfect in us. This truth should motivate us to want to live a life more pleasing to the Lord, not feel obligated to do or be enough.
Don't Figure Out Your Life
We may think we have the rest of our lives figured out. What we want to do career-wise, who we want to marry, what city or state we want to live in, how many kids we want to have. It feels nice to be prepared, to have game-plan for our lives…but the truth is, life hardly ever turns out the way we think it will or the way we want it. Sometimes, we get confused. We don't understand why we have to go through phases of grief, frustration, failure, or resentment. We don't understand why our jobs call us to the other side of the country when we just got settled in some other town, or why we didn't even get that job in the first place. The truth is, we don't know why, and we don't have to know why. When we trust in the One who knows-all, we find rest. We find true, lasting peace, not having to worry about what tomorrow will bring.
