5 ways I'm striving less

Last week I declared an anthem over my summer; birthed from Psalm 27:4, my summer intention is to change my focus from striving for my goals to seeking the Lord's goodness and His beauty right in front of me.  Making adjustments in my perspective and my habits has been a bit challenging, but I am already seeing the fruit. 

Today I want to share 5 ways I am striving less.  After sharing my anthem, I recognized that I am not alone in this struggle; so my hope is that by sharing 5 ways I'm striving less, you might be inspired in your own efforts.  

1. Reading more – I love reading a ton in summer, so this one isn’t too difficult to set in motion, but I’m looking at it more intentionally.  I want to immerse myself in words, whether it be a beachy fiction read or a spiritual memoir, so that I might better learn my craft.  Taking the time to nestle my nose in a book is not just a nice mental break from my own plans/writing goals, but it’s a way to embrace different styles of writing, to appreciate writers gone before me and hopefully add to my toolbox.  
    
2. Less Instagram – What I really mean by less Instagram is more like less Instagram pressure.  I love Insta; it’s my preferred method of social media, the following I am intentionally building, and it has become a wealth of community with fellow writers.  But, I have given it a bit too much power.  Trying to build a following, I was starting to feel wed to Instagram.  If I didn’t get a post out in time, I’d panic and stop whatever I was doing to make it happen.  That needed to stop – It was time to reevaluate my relationship with Instagram; I’m praising it for the blessing it is, but also taking away a bit of it’s power.  If I don’t post in a few days, IT WILL BE OKAY.  My success as a writer isn’t going to whither based on losing a follower or two.  Instead of panicked, must-post-or-else pressure, I am going to post with intentionality and be okay with natural breaks that come from enjoying the life outside of my iPhone.
    
3. Reassessing my goals- My heart’s desire is to write a book.  I set a goal in 2017 to do the work, to write the words, to set the ball in motion.  And ever since, I have been striving to make that happen.  I’ve been thinking, dreaming, planning, writing blog posts, but every time I sit down to work on words for my book, I screech to a halt.  Instead of forcing myself through, I’m reassessing my goals and asking the Lord if His timetable is different.  Taking a step back from book writing has brought a bit more freedom into my writing again; I’m working on submissions, and allowing myself the flexibility to write as I feel driven.  Goals can be motivating but they can also be restricting.  If a goal is causing more stress than it is excitement/motivation, I think it’s time to revise. 
    
4. Listening to my body – When I am in striving mode, it’s like running on a treadmill with no off-switch.  If my body feels tired, I give it no choice but to keep chugging.  Ain’t nobody got time for rest!  But the thing is, I do have time for rest.  No one is holding a gun to my head demanding production, that’s just me and my self-imposed expectations.  Learning to break this habit, and listen to my body is an irreplaceable value that I am constantly reminding myself to respect.  If I take a nap, it’s not a sign of weakness and I can guarantee it’s not going to keep me from reaching my goals; in fact, a rested body and a refreshed mind might be exactly what’s needed to press on. 
    
5. Getting into scripture more – this one may be number 5 on my list, but it’s definitely the most important.  My summer anthem isn’t just about striving less, it’s about seeking the Lord more – if I want to get to know Him more and learn how to better hear His voice in the craziness of this world then I need to utilize the tool that He has given me.  It still blows my mind to think that the words in the Bible are God-breathed; He spoke them, He inspired the authors to write them down.  Reading the Bible is a privilege that I most definitely take for granted. 

Have a sure-fire method you're using to strive less? I'd love to hear about it!  Let's do this together friends.

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“One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.” – Psalm 27:4

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seeking vs. striving

“One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.” – Psalm 27:4

Over the past couple months I have been striving.  Striving to get more done, striving to get more followers on Instagram, striving to build a following, to figure out how to master this world of being a writer, and press myself forward into the calling the Lord has placed on my life.  It started out exciting; setting new goals, making changes, sitting in front of the computer with anticipation and ready fingers.  But the more I attempted, it felt as if I was pulling a weight behind me.  Straining to step forward, exhausted from the struggle, I started to recognize that perhaps this isn’t what the Lord wants for me right now.  That perhaps instead of striving, He wants me to loosen my grip on my goals and soak up what life has for me right here, right now. 

This is a really hard lesson to learn.  So much in the world of social media makes me feel like everyone is doing all the things right now.  Everyone else has already written their book(s), gained a following, and so I should too!  The last thing I want is to fall behind or even worse, miss my window of opportunity.  Even as I write those words, I’m realizing that’s exactly what it is.  I feel like God is writing a book on my heart, one I want to share with the world, and I am afraid that if I don’t do it now, right this instant, I will have missed my window. 

But what He’s teaching me, is that is 100% untrue.  The world might be proclaiming now, do it now, but I know that even if it’s later, or much, much later, God’s timing is perfect.  “What if I trusted that there would be more time down the road, that if that book has to be read or that party has to be thrown or that race has to be run or that trip has to be taken, there will be time to take it/do it/read it/write it later?  Later.  Later.”  These words from Shauna Niequist’s book Present over Perfect, are the wise, God-breathed words that I needed to hear and ones I need to write on my heart. 

So, if now isn’t the time for striving, then what is it time for?  How should I redirect my focus?  Hearing Psalm 27:4 in church on Sunday, I got my answer.  “One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.”  The words that struck me with gentle correction were, this only do I seek…to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and seek him in his temple.  The keyword I heard was only.  I’ve been so absorbed in pushing my calling forward, that I’ve yet again changed my focus from the One who gave me that calling.  This is a lesson that changed my life years ago, and one that I continue to learn over and over again; that above all else, my job is to seek Him.  I love how the author, David, doesn’t just say, see the Lord, watch Him or look at Him.  He says seek Him; meaning it requires some effort on my part.  It is my job to intentionally pursue the Lord and gaze upon the beauty that He has for me.  

This verse is the anthem I’m proclaiming over my summer; I’m changing my focus from striving for my goals to seeking His goodness and His beauty right in front of me.  I know that His timing is perfect, that with Him there is no such thing as a missed opportunity, now I just need to trust Him expectantly.    

Making this adjustment in my focus is not going to be easy, but I’m excited about it.  It’s freeing to throw off the weights of striving and to step into the truth that if He’s calling me to it, He will bring me through it, even if it’s later than I thought. 

Our lives are short.  We don’t know which breath will be our last; we must live with a sense of urgency.  But, not everything needs to be done now – the only thing that we must rush is to seek Him.  Everything else can wait.