It is good........

Have you ever had a picture hanging on your wall and regardless of how many times you tweak it, it always seems to be higher on one side or lower on the other side. Every time you walk through the room you slightly raise one corner this way and the other that way and you step back and think for a few minutes it's fixed. However, once again as you walk away and glance back over your shoulder you find it's still not perfect. It drives you crazy and annoys you, it grabs your attention whenever you are near. You feel like its a losing battle, it's exhausting and so instead of just being content with the slightest imperfection of its alignment you revisit and fix it again and again.

You tell yourself, ok, that's good, that's enough, it's finished. But honestly the enemy says otherwise, he interjects in those moments where your heart tries to be content and says "it could always be better, you can always do more and the work is never finished." As I lay in my bed at night the imperfections of my day ring loudly in my ears, I struggle with believing that it really is ok, that it's good and enough. I think of all the ways I have fallen short, I start beating myself up and wondering why can't I just do it right for once. Whether it be a task I'm working on currently, my job as a wife, mom, or friend, even just my ability to handle the circumstances thrown my way for the day it's obvious I could have done better.

Does this sound familiar, do you too struggle with this tug of war battle? We can often be our own worst enemy. We place these unrealistic expectations over our lives and continually tear overselves down when we don't reach them. After talking with a friend last week she challeneged me that each night as I lay my head down on my pillow to really try and be content with my day, to look back over the events that had unfolded and to say "it is good." As we read in Genesis God created the heavens and the earth, the birds and the trees and at the end of each day He said "it is good." He never said, "it's ok I guess but I really should have.........."but He said "it is good."  

Genesis 1:31 (AMP) "And God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good (suitable, pleasant) and He approved it completely."

I love this translation of Genesis 1:31 because it not only says "it is good" but he said that "He approved it COMPLETELY." He had not one ounce of discontent but was COMPLETELY satisfied. Each day it is our responsibility to live to the fullest, submitting each moment, task and opportunity to the Lord by putting our best effort into all of them, that's it, that's enough and that's ok. It may not always turn out how we had hoped but continuing to beat ourselves up is from the enemy, it's placing this unrealistic expectation over ourselves.

As we read on we find that once God was satisfied with His work He then rested. Genesis 2:2 "By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work." 

There are moments where we must passionately peruse the tasks the Lord places before us for the Gospel but there are also moments where we need to allow ourselves to rest in His presence and be satisfied with sitting in His lap instead of tirelessly chasing perfection. God doesn't want perfection, He wants broken pieces placed at His feet with an expectant heart for His love and grace to consume us and fill us.

Matthew 11:28 "Come to me all who are burdened and I will give you rest."  

Over the past few weeks there have been things happen that are completely out of our control but yet I still wanted to take fault in them. I still wanted to take responsibility in fixing them and instead of just removing those standards from myself I felt angry that I couldn't just do something about them. I even denied myself the ability to be imperfect, to be broken, to be hurting. I was so badly chasing days 1-6 that I denied myself day 7, a day of rest, a day to melt in His arms and not worry about doing something but just being comforted by the comforter. The thoughts within my head said over and over "why can't you just get yourself together, why can't you fix it, this person would have handled it much better." Instead of reaching out my empty hands and allowing God to use the pieces that were left, instead of it being enough I kept trying to move the edges of the picture just slightly to fix it on my own. I allowed the unanswered parts of our circumstances to pick and nag at me, I struggled to gain control and to just get it right.

I don't know what your facing today, I don't know what responsibilities God has placed in your life but I do know that if your doing your best than it is ENOUGH. As you go to sleep each night, look back over your day and say to yourself proudly, knowing you did it with your entire heart "it is good." Allow your efforts to be approved completely by Him and on the days that you need it the most give yourself the grace to just......REST!

Jesus, we thank you that through You we are enough. We pray that each morning as we face the day that you would work in our efforts, work in our hearts and help us to give our very best and know that through Your eyes "it is good." We pray that in those times where our own expectations try to take over and the enemy tries to drag us down that we would be reminded that You are pleased and proud of us. We commit each effort to You daily God and believe in our hearts that our work is approved COMPLETELY through You. In those times Lord where our hearts are overwhelmed I pray that you would remind us to rest in Your safety and security. We love You Jesus and trust You with this battle today. Amen