Breaking Busy: Find Peace & Purpose in the CrazyShembull

Much of the busyness we have in life is because we are always striving to feel better, feel like we matter, and feel worth. We live life feeling unworthy; we wonder if we will ever be enough - smart enough, creative enough, thin enough, rich enough, spiritual enough. We stay stuck in cycles of busyness, trying to please others, to gain assurance and acceptance. But our striving to please only leads to more emptiness and frustration. 

The lie the Devil wants me to believe, and you to believe, is that we are never going to be enough. It’s a lie he’s been perfecting since the beginning of time. But I’m here to tell you his lie, the lie of shame serves one purpose: To distract us and keep us busy trying to prove to the world that we are perfect. 

The lie tells us we will never be good enough, regardless of how we live out our calling. On the flip side of the lie of shame is the lie of pride. If the Enemy can’t make us doubt our worth, he makes us believe in an equally false version of it, one that tells us we are valuable because of our incredible efforts, sometimes even our efforts on behalf of God. But whether we believe the lie of shame or the lie of pride, each is rooted in our need to feel worthy. 

Keeping us busy trying to prove our worth is the easiest way to keep us from the life God created us to live. 

The key to having a healthy understanding of our worth is knowing to whom we belong. 

Our worth does not come through our great accomplishments, nor does it come from other people’s acceptance (or rejection) of us. Jesus teaches us that our worth is in him. We are made in his image, crafted beautifully in the womb, full of passions and giftings, and with the potential to do amazing things through his power. 

We must simply grasp that we are fearfully and wonderfully made. When we know our worth - and the glory from where it originates - we can break the cycle of busyness that causes us to strive to prove (to ourselves and others) that we have value. 

If we are going to break busy and find our worth in a world of striving, we need to put away our striving and rest in the beauty of this truth:

God showed us how much we are worth by giving us everything: grace, salvation, and eternal life. Our greatest calling is to receive his gift. Jesus’ redemptive love, his saving grace, and his forgiveness are what make us worthy. 

Prayer:

Lord, when I feel like I’m not enough and I start to try to earn Your love and the acceptance of others by “doing it all,” remind me that You found me worthy enough to die for. Help me to walk first and foremost in my greatest calling, which is receiving Your love. Amen. 

Action Step:

Pray and ask God what truths He wants you to know about His love for you, and ask Him to make love for Him the central desire of your heart.