You know when you see those common sayings: “Girl Boss,” “Mr. Fix-It,” “You’re stronger than you think you are,” “She believed she could, and she did,” “Mind over Matter.” There are many. You get it. These are meant to uplift and empower us and make us feel a sense of superior strength.
The problem with these sayings, and this mindset in general, is that it gives us a sense of self-made, hulk-like strength. I promise you, not one of us actually possess this “gift.”
The gift we have received is Jesus. He gives us the strength we need to endure everyday circumstances. He gives us fuel for our souls to feel content and joyful, even when things around us are making our heads spin.
Let’s stop pressuring ourselves and others to maintain a status that was never manageable in the first place. You and I aren’t called to be superheroes and we can’t do it all, even when we try.
Striving for Perfection
I remember becoming a new mom and almost instantly feeling this pressure to be perfect. How you feed your child (breast is best!), how you dress them (they need to be stylish!), their nighttime routine (let them cry it out…oh, wait, don’t do that or they’ll be scarred for life!) and every other decision you have to make needs to meet some kind of criteria. Be warned though, that criteria changes by the second and it’s also different depending who you talk to.
There was so much stress I allowed myself to feel over all those little decisions, until I finally realized I couldn’t do anything perfectly. My kids were bottle-fed (gasp!), but they were super healthy and happy babies. My kids wore a lot of hand-me-downs and garage sale clothes, and guess what, they were still cute and appropriately dressed. Some nights I rocked my boys to sleep and other nights I let them cry it out, and again, all was well. They slept and so did I.
When we realize that the opinions and expectations people put on us really don’t matter, we can start to feel free. Free from the pressure. Free from the unrealistic goals. Free from trying to be someone or something we were never meant to be. God just asks us to love Him, trust His plans and put our hope solely in Him. When we do, we see that we have all we need and we are enough just as we are.
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Ephesians 2:10
Achieving Is Not the Same as Discipline
For the longest time, I’ve looked at discipline as achieving a status, a title, an outcome or some sort of result that would give me “success.” Biblical discipline, however, is not about status or title at all. The only title that matters to God is that we are His. We are his CHOSEN, LOVED, CHILDREN. Discipline is about setting our hearts and minds on Jesus each day, so that we can fight the battle the enemy puts before us. It’s about trusting more than gaining.
Discipline is not always easy, but it’s necessary if we want real life-change. Setting our minds on truth is also a huge aspect of Biblical discipline. When we’re anxious and don’t know how we’ll “get it all done,” we can turn to God and ask Him to guide us in what’s most valuable. If we feel fearful about the unknowns before us, we can turn to the Word to give us confidence and hope despite the outcomes of our life.
It’s not bad to achieve our goals or other things in life, but we have to be sure to see the distinction between what we “earn” and how well we’re training our hearts and minds to be set on Jesus. The world won’t give us any lasting joy, but Christ will, and we can turn to Him at all times and in all situations.
Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.
Colossians 3:22
Stop Juggling and Start Praying
So many of us try to juggle numerous balls that we simply can’t keep in the air. I’ve felt pressured too many times to count to be a perfect, fun, involved mom to my boys, be a loving and intentional wife, a good, consistent friend, daughter, sister, etc. Also, to be a good leader in my job and prove myself worthy of my title, to consistently encourage and minister to others, have good relationship with all my volunteers and somehow also keep a clean and organized home.
The lists, the expectations and the pressure we allow to be put ourselves are overwhelming. It’s also not at all what God wants or intends for us. Instead, He wants us to find rest in Him. To “be still” and aware of the Holy Spirit working within us. If we focus too highly on all the checklists we have, and allow the overwhelming demands of life to consume us, we leave no room for the power of God to work.
Instead of trying to do it all and be all for everyone, let’s instead sit before God and ask Him to remind us of who we already are. Pray to Him regularly and ask for His direction, wisdom and discernment in all areas of your life. We are always enough to Him, and if we’re putting our faith in Him and allowing Him to lead, we are doing exactly the right thing. Those other things, although they may be important, should only be done from our foundation in Christ.
Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God.
2 Corinthians 3:5
You’re Not a Superhero, But You Have Superior Strength
The world will continue to tell us to try harder, be better (whatever that means), do more, and achieve success. It will keep feeding us lies and making us feel less than for not measuring up to whatever standards we feel we must meet.
Don’t let the enemy trap you in that place. Allow God to be your guide, and turn to Him and His Word as your anchor and roadmap. You may not be the superhero the world tells you to try and be, but you are strong and empowered by the Holy Spirit. You have a much superior force of strength working within you to keep you grounded and able to face the circumstances before you.
Remind yourself daily that you are enough, you’re called to abide in Him, and your purpose isn’t to attain or accomplish more. Your purpose is to faithfully trust the Lord and draw others to Him. Allow God to take those burdens of everyday life from you and use that superior strength of His to lead you each day.
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.
Ephesians 6:10