Summer is well underway, and I don’t normally have much to show for it (I tend to stay in the AC and avoid the crowds), but this July is PACKED. With a work trip, a change in careers, coordinating two weddings, and some fun personal travel, I will be grateful for the few moments of catching my breath.
That being said, I’m going to give myself the space and grace to not fight my calendar in order to crank out weekly word studies. Our truth balm for July (albeit a few days early) is this simple truth that our culture likes to ignore in our hustle-hard mentality:
Sometimes not showing up
is the best way you can show up
fully and authentically.
There’s the classic saying “Every yes is a no to something else,” and the opposite is true, too. I don’t know about you, but I’m a sign-up-for-everything-say-yes-dont-think-do kind of go-getter. That’s ended up hurting me more than helping me.
I’ve come to realize that over-committing and saying yes to every little thing is really just a game of control. I think, “This is how my life should pan out” (be it good yeses and not-so-good yeses), so I say yes because I am (or want to pretend I am) in control of my life.
We can easily convince ourselves that saying yes to serving God in a specific way is ALWAYS the best way to show up, no matter what it costs us.
Sometimes God wants us to show up in simple ways that honor him, in hidden ways that serve his purpose, by saying no to something because something else would glorify him more—even when WE think a specific “yes” would be the best way to serve him.
See, that’s the kicker. The more excited we get about serving God and following his path for our lives, the easier it is to convince ourselves that doing one thing outweighs another.
For example, it feels much more “godly” to show up at church on Sunday morning and check off that holy to-do list than it does to call our family member who is difficult to talk to. It seems much more “righteous” to serve at the local food shelter than it does to clean our home or prep meals for the week. These things are vitally important to our faith journey and serving God, but one does not always outweigh the other in terms of how to show up for God.
Caring for our own family or nourishing our own body is just as critical as caring for our neighbor.
Sometimes God’s way of inviting you to show up and do good works for the kingdom is in the simplicity of folding your child’s laundry with a smile, not going to church this weekend because you’re finding deeper connection with family over the breakfast table, or picking up your friend at the airport because they couldn’t find a ride, aside from an Uber. Maybe it means sleeping for another hour because your body needs it instead of feeling the pressure to get out of bed so you don’t miss your workout.
Alternatively, maybe God is inviting you to not feel so rigid in getting 8 hours of sleep and welcoming you to breathe in that crisp morning air by getting out for a walk since you’re already awake earlier than normal (preaching to myself here).
We like to overcomplicate our relationship with God because of the religiosity of our faith, the rules that Christendom has seemingly thrived on for centuries, and the expectations of our local pastor. The reality is, God came down to earth from his throne, like no other king would dare to do, and flipped everything we think of as the “right way of living” on its head.
As a nod back to our word for the week, righteousness, it’s more than just “doing things for God;” our faith journey is about a heart posture aligned with God’s standards. I guess this kind of all comes to a head in the idea of rest, too.
As you stop pursuing right living by striving to be the best you can be and doing everything you can do to serve God in your own strength, God invites you to rest in His plans, His goodness, His comfort, His grace.
That doesn’t mean doing nothing; it just might mean doing things differently than what you think of as “worthy.” It also might look different than how others on your Instagram or Facebook feeds are serving God, and THAT IS OKAY.
“And he said to them, ‘The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath.’” Mark 2:27-28
Rest is a massive standard in God’s Kingdom, so it ought to be in our lives. Whatever that rest posture might look like for you this season, I pray you accept God’s invitation and walk into it with ease and delight as Christ so offers. It doesn’t always mean the “easier path.”
I want to challenge you to see that God might ask you to show up—or not show up—in different ways than what the world or Christian culture deems as the most worthy way to serve God.
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.
Romans 12:1-5, NIV
What’s next for Truth Balm Newsletter?
I am already stirring up exciting ideas for our weekly word studies this Fall. We might touch on some common words that show up in the Biblical texts with deeper meaning (grace, feast, truth); we might unpack some themes of words throughout a month that hinge on controversial matters (like…women in ministry🫣). I’m so energized by this new style of writing and content, and I hope you’re loving it as much as I am!
Happy Summer, friends!
May you enjoy the sun, be refreshed in the air conditioning, find freedom in the water, and relish in the different rhythms of longer days and warmer nights. I’ll see you in August!