“Am I a God at hand,” declares the Lord, “and not a God far away? Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him?” declares the Lord. “Do I not fill heaven and earth?” declares the Lord. Jeremiah 23:23-24
What are you hiding?
A secret?
What is your deepest fear?
What are you hiding behind?
Job status?
A relationship?
Sin?
Do you subscribe to the notion that no one would like you if they really knew the whole you?
These all boil down to fear, due to misplaced trust.
Trusting in yourself before God.
When you hide in your fears, you place yourself in charge.
You are telling God you don’t trust Him.
Come out.
Come out from behind the couch and place your hand into God’s.
Tell Him your fears.
Tell Him your anxieties.
Ask Him to replace them with the truth.
His truth.
He’ll do it.
He’ll cover you with His feathers, encapsulating your very self.
Instead of hiding from God, hide within Him.
Use His protection against fear.
Use His protection against anxiety.
Use His truth to replace the lies you’ve believed your whole life.
And do not give the devil a foothold. Ephesians 4:27
Is it ok to be mad?
Super angry at an uncontrollable situation?
Yes.
It’s ok to be mad.
Just don’t let it control you.
There’s a difference.
A difference between anger and a life dictated by it.
The anger.
Sometimes situations in life have justifiable angry responses.
Literally justified.
But if you hold onto that anger, it controls you every time.
Every time you are reminded of the situation, your body will respond as trained.
In anger.
Blood will boil.
Tempers will flair.
You will lash out at people for no apparent reason.
It’s sin.
Why?
Because the anger controls you.
You have trained your body in that way.
And don’t sin by letting anger control you. Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil. Ephesians 4:26-7
When God talks about letting go of anger, He means just that.
Let it go.
Guess He coined that phrase long before the Norwegian ice princess movie we have all watched way too many times.
Doesn’t mean to forget or allow yourself to be hurt again in the same way.
It simply means to keep your peace.
To surrender the anger, knowing God is in control.
To choose peace over anger, learning instead from the pain.
Giving a foothold to the devil is keeping your anger.
Choosing to wallow in it.
Probably deservedly, yes, but that’s not the point.
Living in freedom with God sometimes defies all logic.
Logically, you should be mad as you know what.
But God wants you to live in freedom.
And you cannot dwell in His freedom if you are shackled by anger’s prison.
Break free and allow God to heal your wounds.
How?
Ask God.
Remember, forgiving is not forgetting.
But it’s freedom.
Ask God to forgive through you.
Then whenever it pops back into your brain (you know the devil will insist on reminding you often!), throw it back to God.
Forgive again and again.
Your body will begin to retrain itself, reacting instead with peace.
The absence of anger will release you from the prison of pain.
But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one. 2 Thessalonians 3:3
She sat perched on the edge of her bed.
Deep in thought.
Lost, really.
Stuck.
Her mind wandered so easily from truth to lies, that it was all muddled together.
Nothing seemed to make much sense anymore.
Deep down, she knew the truth of who she was.
Yet, somehow, she had denied it’s truth.
Instead of allowing God’s truth to heal every inch of herself, clinging to the lies had poisoned her still.
That leads us back to the girl sitting on her bed, lost.
A Christian girl, mind you.
Someone who, from a very young age, has trusted God, knowing His truth.
Looking further into her room, there is something behind her.
A dark presence.
And it’s smiling.
Or maybe sneering.
It’s whispering into her ear, causing tears on her face to fall.
How is this possible?
Satan is sly, wanting to make all of us miserable.
Even lonely, sad girls.
While watching this unhappy scene unfold, all of a sudden, a light appeared.
A strong, warrior-like being appeared, declaring, “Enough.”
With that, the dark presence immediately fled.
The girl’s tears ceased and a tiny smile broke out upon her face.
Out loud, she whispered, “Thank you, Jesus.”
The warrior, putting His arm around her, answered her.
“You’re welcome, my child. Next time you feel anxious by a thought, identify it as a lie straight from the pit. Refuse it and speak life into your mind through My Name. And never forget how much you matter to Me. I am always a whisper away.”
Be careful to obey all these words that I command you, that it may go well with you and with your children after you forever, when you do what is good and right in the sight of the Lord your God. Deuteronomy 12:28
Ever read A Christmas Carol?
My eighth graders read it with me this month.
I know we’ve all seen the movie or the play twice or a dozen times.
We know the story well.
But have you actually ever read it?
It’s so much better.
The text portrays the struggle like no movie can.
The struggle between selfishness and generosity.
Between hate and love.
Good and evil deep in one’s soul.
The wrestle between habit and change.
The text opens depicting Scrooge as a vile human being.
He’d rather kill the poor than shove meager crumbs their way.
He looses the love of his life because his “golden idol” has replaced her.
It takes trips to his past, present and future to finally change Scrooge’s heart for good.
Stave 4 depicts his future.
His soul is overcome with grief at how his sorry life is forgotten, all his worldly gains vanishing into the hands of thieves.
His grief is profound, even gut-wrenching.
At the end, Scrooge is found begging for the chance to change his future.
He is pleading with the Ghost of Christmas Future, desperate to know if there is still time to change what is to come.
To my eighth graders, I posed a question:
What if God showed you a movie of your future, based upon your character of today.
What would you see?
And I ask you.
Are the choices you make today creating the future God wants for you?
Or are you forging ahead on the path to death?
May it not be so.
Let us wake from our sleep, recognizing how much God can accomplish through us.
May we recognize the choices God brings to us and choose wisely.
Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in Me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. John 14:12
How high is your belief?
Belief in God.
Belief in His goodness.
Belief in His faithfulness.
Belief in your God-given gifts.
How much do you believe?
How deep?
I can say things until I’m blue in the face.
Others can share God’s truth over and over.
But unless you take His words into your heart, they mean nothing.
Absolutely nothing.
We all have our own choices.
To believe God or not.
To believe Him when things are rolling along nicely.
But to also believe Him when you’re plodding along in a deep dark forest.
How deep is your belief?
Even when you cannot feel His hand, do you know He’s still there?
Even when you’re disappointed yet again, do you look instead to His faithfulness?
It’s normal to flip a bit.
To flip on belief when a doubt enters your brain.
A thought pops into your head, planting a doubt, and you respond like you almost agree.
Instead, when little doubts land on your arm, slap them like a mosquito, killing them on the spot.
Ain’t nobody got time for that.
Doubt that is.
Why?
Because doubt always leads to something else.
If you don’t immediately slap that doubt away, it stays in the corner of your mind, coming to the surface every so often.
Something else a few minutes or hours later will try to confirm that doubt.
Now you’ve got a bigger problem.
That “confirmed” doubt has doubled.
Folks, it only gets worse from there.
Doubts are believed when belief in ourselves overtakes our belief in God.
When we determine it’s up to us to be happy.
It’s up to us to solve our moments.
Our belief in God is the cornerstone of everything.
If we don’t believe He is enough, we search.
If we don’t believe He is faithful, we doubt.
If we don’t believe He is here, we panic.
Keep your belief deep, so your roots are well watered when the ground above is parched.
When life is cracked and dry, you will still thrive because your roots are well-watered.
Choose to deeply believe, because life is very real.
Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. Matthew 6:34
“If God puts you there, He is amply sufficient.” Oswald Chambers
Unpacking this, there is so much to see.
If God places you anywhere (and He does, because He is sovereign over all), He is completely and totally enough to cover all of your fears and anxieties, washing your mind with His peace.
Completely and totally enough to cover it all.
Even those fears you harbor deep inside.
He is enough, washing your mind with His peace.
If God places your hands to work, He is more than enough, helping you not only survive, but thrive.
If God places you at home with your less than appreciative child, His love for you will cover the gaps, filling your heart with Him.
If God places you in a hospital, caring for a loved one, His care for you will shine through your care of that loved one.
If God places you in front of a large crowd, your voice will carry His message to others, speaking to their very souls.
If God places you somewhere to stand up for His name, His strength will carry you securely onto the wings of His safety and love.
If God calls you to live without your spouse, His care for you will cover all of the holes left behind.
If God calls you to mother or father children who have grown in your heart alone, His grace will marry the lines between parent and child.
When God places you, His child, in any situation, He will be enough.
He is enough.
He will do all this and more if you place your trust in Him, wanting to mirror His likeness.
To be His hands and feet.
To shut yourself down, pouring out His life instead.
Shutting yourself down doesn’t mean you become nothing.
It’s the opposite, really.
Shutting yourself down means turning off your selfish ways and pouring out God.
God, who loves all of us so very much.
Remember Whose you are.
Remember what that means.
That when He places you in life, He is more than enough.
Consequently, He is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. Hebrews 7:25
What if I told you there is a Friend who knows your name?
Not only your name, but every thought you’ve had, every tear you’ve shed, every smile you’ve given?
Who longs to be your first confidant and constant lifelong companion?
What if I told you there is a Provider who will meet your every need?
Who longs to shower you with blessings if you let Him?
Who will not only give you food to eat, but food for your parched and weary soul?
What if I told you there is a Comforter who hears every cry?
Whose heart breaks with yours, yearning to remove every one of your burdens, big or small?
What if I told you there is a Protector who carries all authority in heaven and on earth?
Who longs to stand not only at your physical door, but your mind as well, slaying giants seen and unseen?
What if I told you there is a Shepherd who wants to guide your every step, keeping it from slipping?
Who longs to gently steer your words, thoughts, and deeds towards life and not death?
What if I told you there is a Father who wants to give you everything you could ever possibly need?
Who longs to not only protect you, but love you unconditionally, providing you with wisdom, truth, and every good thing?
What if I told you His name is Jesus and all of it is real.
Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 1 Peter 1:8-9
Faith.
What exactly is faith?
Believing.
Faith in God is believing in Him.
Believing He will do what He says.
That He knows best.
Believing He has our back.
That He is leading us down paths of goodness.
Abraham had faith.
Faith when God told him to sacrifice His only son whom he had waited his entire life for.
The son that held the promise of generations to follow.
Yet when God asked Abraham to sacrifice this only son, there was no hesitation.
Because Abraham had faith.
Absolute faith.
Do you?
Jesus had faith in God as well.
When the time came, Jesus asked that the cup would be removed.
But He ended his prayer with, “Not my will, but Thy will be done.”
Faith in God’s higher ways.
Jesus had perfect faith in His Father’s plan.
Explicit trust.
Do you?
It all boils down to Whom you believe in.
With who or what you place your faith.
We all have faith in something or someone.
Even the absence of faith is faith that nothing is there.
Will you place your faith in yourself?
You will fail and so will the rest of the world.
No one is perfect except God.
Or will you place your faith in the One who created all things?
Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. Ephesians 4:31-32
What if you decided to release all of the junk?
All of the junk you keep in your brain?
Un-forgiveness of others.
Memorized list of how each hurt you?
Deservedly yes, but it was so yesterday.
You’re only hurting yourself, you know.
Internally, your body reacts poorly when you hold onto things.
How do you know if you still have junk?
The thought of that person brings it all up again.
Washes over you like a sickness.
What if you released it?
Deliberately deciding not to hold onto it, no matter what it is?
Declaring yourself unoffendable?
What if, the very next time someone “hurts” you by their words, you, instead of launching into poor me, decided not to claim that pain at all?
Refusing to participate?
You’d enjoy freedom.
If people cannot offend you , you will remain peaceful.
Not a license to turn you into a doormat.
Talking about little things.
Snide remark from a child.
Spouse not treating you perfectly.
Taking a boss’ criticism personally instead of separating it into doing your job better.
Jesus wants His kingdom to come here on earth.
Was He wanting us to live our salvation in freedom on earth?
Not wrapped up by the bondage of past offenses?
Freedom in Christ means the freedom to forgive.
Forgive and forget.
Doesn’t mean you are blindly trusting others who have proven themselves unworthy.
But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. Luke 24:1-3
I came today.
I came to see my Lord.
With me I brought the best spices I could afford to place upon His body.
I still cannot believe He died for us.
For me.
He gave His life for us.
He literally paid for my sins.
I owe Him my life.
I pause at the bottom of the hill, catching my breath.
My Lord and I had such wonderful talks.
He taught me so much.
So many truths.
He valued me like no one has ever valued me before.
He gave me hope.
Purpose.
And now He’s gone.
I can’t think about that as I am in a hurry to bring my spices to the tomb.
I cautiously approach, not wanting to unnecessarily disturb the guards.
Suddenly, I stop.
The tomb is open.
There are no guards.
Wait, what?
I run into the tomb, spilling the spices onto the floor.
His body is not here.
Where is it?
What have they done with it?
I look down.
His cloth is here.
But He isn’t.
I stand, dumbfounded and still.
Suddenly I remember His story.
The one about His resurrection.
Could it be?
No.
Yes?
I sink into a heap upon the floor.
Yes.
If Jesus said He would rise from the dead, then yes, He has.
But where is He?
Putting one foot in front of the other, I exit the tomb, searching the surrounding countryside with my eyes.
Peter, one of His disciples, runs up to me, so excited he can hardly breathe.
Catching his breath, he announces to me Jesus is not here, because HE HAS RISEN from the dead!
What?
Searching his eyes, I realize he is telling the truth!
I hurry with him to join the others in the upper room.
As we gather, the empty tomb is excitedly discussed .
Then, all of a sudden, there He is.
With us.
He is here with us in the room.
In the flesh.
Alive.
Jesus.
My Jesus.
He extends His hands to Thomas, who doubted from the beginning the entire story.
Thomas is instantly convicted, ashamed he ever doubted His Lord.
Filling with compassion, Jesus embraces Thomas and then all of us, one by one.
My Lord and My God is alive.
Fully alive.
Literally.
He has conquered sin and death once and for all.
Hallelujah!
I run from the room unable to contain myself, shouting to anyone who will hear, “Jesus is alive!”
This news is too good not to share.
Everyone needs to know.
Everyone.
And now you know.
You are reminded that Jesus, your sweet Savior, is alive.
You shall walk in all the way that the Lord your God has commanded you, that you may live, and that it may go well with you, and that you may live long in the land that you shall possess. Deuteronomy 5:33
When we obey God, His power rushes through us to others.
Why?
Because “behind the deed of obedience is the reality of Almighty God”.
An incredible preacher, Oswald Chambers penned that phrase in the last century.
The thought is so profound, I’ve spent days thinking of it.
When we love others with His love, we affect eternity.
When we become the hands and feet of Jesus, His love touches others through us.
When we obey God, His power is unleashed.
His love is let out.
His healing is released.
His peace is felt.
Think you’re insignificant?
Focus on this: your obedience can allow others to see God.
Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, (vs 1)
I am blessed by God when I choose to listen to Him, ignoring the evil ways of my natural self, shutting out the noise that clutters my mind.
but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. (vs 2)
I am filled with joy when my sole focus is God; when I focus on His promises remembering His truth.
That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers. (vs 3)
When I purpose my mind and thoughts on Him, I am a strong tree with roots firmly planted in the ground – never faltering, never swaying – immovable in Him.
Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away.
Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. (vs 4,5)
I will not be like or resemble the ungodly, who are without the peace of God. Their actions on earth will pass away like the wind. They will forever be separate from God, my God.
For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to destruction. (vs 6)
My God will continually watch over my every step all the days of my life. His goodness and mercy will follow me and my head will be covered by His tender love and protection always.
For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. Romans 7:18
Life is real, folks.
Messy.
Super messy.
Why?
Broken world.
Selfishness.
Lies of the enemy we believe.
Death.
Are you aware that when God created our world, death was not yet present?
The Garden of Eden was brimming with life.
Death was nowhere until sin entered the world.
The death that surrounds us takes many forms.
Depression or deep grief is like death as in it robs us of hours or days.
Death of dreams happen when life becomes twisted and hard.
When we no longer are able to choose what we wish, faced instead with choices we hate.
And then there’s literal death.
Loved ones who leave us.
Unknown babies who grow in heaven.
Not to mention our own selves.
Real life is not Instagram happy faces.
It’s not Pinterest worthy decorated homes or birthday cakes.
It’s not a perfect family photo.
Sometimes, it’s gut-wrenching grief.
But pulling yourself up and starting anew.
It’s homes that are not always happy, with laundry overflowing, and lop-sided birthday cakes made with love.
It’s usually perfectly messy homes that are loving and comfy.
It’s real family relationships with yelling and arguments, filled with selfish moments.
But family relationships which genuinely care and in the end, hug and love no matter what.
Real life is not perfect.
Real life is messy.
Frankly, it can be disastrous at times.
But when we all admit our imperfections, life becomes simpler.
No, we don’t have to live up to that imperfect expectation.
We’re not perfect.
But God, who created us and never makes mistakes, knew that.
He knows it.
And He loves us anyway.
Let’s stop pretending everything is OK.
Because when we admit it’s not, God steps in and fills our many cracks.
I relieved your shoulder of the burden; your hands were freed from the basket. In distress you called, and I delivered you; I answered you in the secret place of thunder. Psalm 81:6-7
What is hope, really?
Knowing the situation will improve.
Seeing signs of improvement.
Signs of hope.
The dictionary defines hope as believing, desiring, or trusting.
Do you have hope?
Doesn’t matter what situation you are thinking of.
Can be big or small.
Hope your child will return their reverence to God.
Hope your boss will recognize your hard work.
Hope your puppy will finally see the big bathroom, which is outside.
Hope your spouse will pick up dinner for you.
Some hope isn’t reasonable.
Hope your child will, on their own, make a fabulous dinner or rub your aching feet.
Hope taxes will forever say goodbye.
Hope winter in Nebraska will stay in the 50’s at the very least.
But reallife hope is possible.
Needed, in fact.
If you don’t have hope, you really have nothing.
Deep in winter’s grip, we have hope for spring’s warmth.
During an especially tiring workday, we have hope for the weekend’s rest.
And when children are small, we have hope they will become more and more self sufficient.
As Christians, we have hope for eternal life, living forever with God.
When we continually trust God for things in this life, our hope increases.
When we faithfully ask God to intervene, placing our worries at His feet, our hope increases.
When we realize we are not in charge and thank God that He IS in charge, our hope increases.
Place your hope in Him.
Your belief, desire, and trust as the dictionary defines.
And when doubt comes a knockin’ at your door, don’t answer it.
To the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. Jude 25
Lord, what are Your thoughts this morning?
Be still.
Be still and know that I am God.
I am above it all.
Everything, big or small.
I am above your children.
I am above your husband.
I am above your job.
Your health.
Your house.
Remember Who I am.
I am the Great I Am.
I Am means I have always, are currently, and always will be.
As a result, you can be still.
If you choose.
Be still and know that I am God, trusting in My perfect plan chosen specifically for you.
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:2
What is your focus?
Yourself?
Your needs, wants, and desires?
I get it.
It’s totally natural.
When you focus on your own self, nothing else matters except for your happiness.
Satisfying your needs.
Children naturally look out for number one and our job as parents is to curb that selfishness.
Tantrums usually result when children have little consequence for displaying that me-monster.
You’ve seen the horror unfold in stores.
Good parents are those that take the child out, not giving in.
Hopefully, as we grow into adults, we focus less on ourselves, and more on other people.
Parenting thrusts us into this role whether we want to or not.
I can remember staying home for years with the children.
My needs were second to theirs; however, their daily “after lunch quiet times” away from me provided sanity, key to my mental state.
Focusing on others with physical work is relatively easy.
Physically hard, yes, but easy in a way.
Unless you are grumbling and complaining as you work, thinking of only your “put out” state of mind.
On the other hand, mentally focusing on others and not yourself is an entirely different ballgame.
For example, what if your spouse communicates differently from you?
Should you focus on your natural point of view or theirs instead?
Imagine the difference if you focused first on your spouse, turning to yourself last.
What if your students at school or your own children at home seem to come from another world entirely?
Enter that world and look around.
Mentally.
Little people need authority from parents and teachers, but the focus can still be them.
Authority which oozes love and acceptance.
Think of Jesus.
He would patiently listen to children, calming them down with his love and authority.
And if He was married to your spouse, He would think of them first.
Always.
As Christians, Jesus DOES live in us.
We can be His hands and feet.
With strangers.
With children.
With our spouse.
The next time an issue crops up, don’t immediately switch the focus to yourself.
I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. Psalm 119:15
Feel as if your mind is stuck?
Wound up with who knows what?
Feel immovable?
So overwhelmed you have no idea where to begin?
When we become so consumed with life, our connections to God become clouded.
Cobwebs begin to weave their way this way and that every time we rely on ourselves instead of God.
When we focus on the millions of things we could, no should be doing, not asking God what He wants us to do.
Whenever I begin to feel the weight of all I’m supposed to take care of, I can feel brain connections popping.
Like an overloaded circuit.
What if you didn’t go through the mail.
Ok, just look for bills that are immediately due, but ignore the rest.
What if you only sent gift cards to family members for Christmas instead of placing the pressure of finding the perfect gift for all 39 people in the next 3 weeks?
What if you skipped dusting and ate only soup and eggs for a week’s nightly dinners?
Would anyone die?
Your children might think life has if they hate your dinner choice, but who asked them?
Create margin.
Space in your brain.
You literally cannot do it all.
Clear the cobwebs by focusing on God.
Ask Him to order your steps.
Before you commit to yet another thing, ask Him if you should.
Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love Him and keep His commandments, to a thousand generations. Deuteronomy 7:9
You want proof God exists?
You want proof He is here?
Open your eyes.
Look around.
Really look.
Before God,
Your life was a mess.
Before His salvation,
Your life was a wreck.
Your life after God has had many disasters.
But He is there every single time.
Carrying you through.
Not unscathed, but whole.
Instead of looking at your life and focusing on the disappointments, be amazed at how He has been there.
And still is.
Instead of asking God for proof of His very existence, look at His proof staring you in the face.
Your spouse.
Your children.
Your job you didn’t know you’d need.
Your safety net of family and friends.
Physical provision just when you needed it.
Emotional support from a friend when it mattered most.
Unexplained bursts of joy in the midst of trials.
A peace which passes all understanding keeping your heart secure, while life on the outside looks chaotic.
God smiles at us all the time.
Through others.
That’s the proof.
Me, I tend to focus on the “too bad’s”.
Too bad life isn’t this way.
Or that.
And then I become unhappy.
Frankly, I have the distinct ability to wallow in the unhappy.
Gee, no wonder I do when I focus only on the “too bad’s”.
Look at life, instead, this way.
We live in a broken world.
But God has made all the difference in this life.
His provision has carried you through things you didn’t even know were wrong.
His love has filled you with peace time and time again.
So instead of focusing on the “too bad’s”, focus on the “it’s great that’s”.
Choose to focus on the good that most certainly outweighs the bad.
And see His hand that has been on your life, is on your life, and always will be on your life.
Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from Him. Psalm 62:1
There will always be more.
More teacher books to read, lessons to try, activities to save.
More recipes to try, nutrition to evaluate, exercise methods to investigate.
More decorating shows to watch, websites to pursue, ideas to glean.
More clothing to see, outfits to make, stores to shop.
We will never reach the pinnacle of knowledge in any area of our life.
There will always be more we could know.
More knowledge to glean.
More, more, more.
I find this overwhelming.
Why?
Because I want to do my very best in all things.
I want to be the best teacher, so I read blogs, read books, tweak lessons, and constantly keep looking to make my classes even better.
I want to be the best self, so I keep pursuing blogs, saved links, and books to find that formula which will set me up for success.
I want to be the best Christian wife/mother/daughter/etc, so I read books, blogs, and save even more books on my future reading list, which I admit will could never all be read in my lifetime.
Folks, we don’t have to prove ourselves.
God loves us and accepts us.
Knowledge is wonderful, even ordained by God.
But it can become a religion of sorts.
An idol in the very least.
Yes, we should keep pursuing knowledge.
But not at the risk of feeling inadequate if we don’t.
The lie of having to know everything is false.
It will never happen.
Sorry to burst your bubble, but you will never know all in whatever area you focus.
Use your God-given talents to work, improve, and pursue knowledge.
But let God guide you.
If your saved links or saved emails, or list of books to read all of a sudden vanished, would that almost be a relief to you?
That is an indication of information overload.
If you don’t want to be so bold as to delete years of saved “bookmarks”, then place a time limit on your knowledge search.
Give yourself 20 minutes a day to read your book or saved link.
Devote an entire day to plunge beneath the waters and organize, deleting unnecessary items.
Whatever you decide to do, simply remember this.
God knows all, so we don’t have to.
He ordains your steps when you trust in Him.
Allow Him to guide your knowledge search, knowing you are already enough.
You have already secured His love.
Thank Him for your knowledge thirst.
Then sit back, take a drink from your book, and savor the satisfaction of being enough.
Amy Linnea 
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