Believe and Rest, Not Strive and Stress

Waves of the ocean are such a relaxing comfort to me. Every fall, we take a family vacation to the Oregon Coast and savor the beauty of this landscape. It is a place of family traditions, relaxation, memories, and peace. I see the waves topple over each other in a never ending cascade of water rotation, and I find comfort in its consistency, in its simple beauty, in the powerful hand of God that continues to uphold the universe by the word of His power. This year, I found myself reflecting on the previous year.

As I look back on a full, hard, and yet good year, I am thankful. I am amazed at God’s consistent upholding of my little sphere, home, and family.

I have a lot more white hair this year that I’m choosing to embrace. It’s wispy, wild, and out of control, but it’s a reminder that my days are limited on this earth and each moment is a precious gift.

We have been through some of our hardest financial challenges this year as we walk through another business closure. We’ve experienced many work transitions and multiple startups throughout our marriage, and numerous late night hours my husband has poured into multiple businesses. We end this year with our greatest amount of business debt to date. It’s a reminder that our confidence cannot be found in financial security, but only in Jesus Christ’s care for us, in His promise that He will never allow the righteous to be forsaken, or His children lacking bread.

We’ve seen some of our toughest child training issues to date, from trying to figure out how to help my eldest daughter learn how to handle many tears, disappointments, academic struggles, fatigue, and fearful lies of the enemy, to a rambunctious toddler who hasn’t slept consistently through the night and is always finding ways to escape out into our neighborhood and explore the world. He’s just shy of two years old and he’s already managed to fall out of a tree! It’s a reminder that God is in control of the hearts and lives of our children. He guides His young (Isaiah 40:11). God loves them more than I ever could and knows their future and it is good (Jeremiah 29:11).

Yet…despite the wild adventures of this past year, I’m more content and free from anxiety than I’ve ever been, and more happy in Jesus and deeply in love with my husband.

It is a testimony to God’s persevering grace continuing to teach me more of Himself and how to meditate on truth and fight hard against the devil’s lies.

This is what God has taught me, a mantra He has put in my heart to sing: believe and rest, dear one, instead of strive and stress.

Believe that God is fighting for you, and you can hold your peace and be at rest (Exodus 14:14). Believe that God has already paid the penalty for our sin, and won the battle for me, so we are free to fail. Believe that our victory is assured because we are in Christ (1 Cor. 15:57, 1 John 5:4). Believe that you are loved with an everlasting love (Jer. 31:3) and God is working all things together for your good (Romans 8:28). Believe that He’s got this! Whatever it might be. He is God and I am not. Do you believe it?

Rest is His peace that He promises to those who reach out and embrace it (John 14:27). Rest is His finished work on your behalf (John 3:16). Rest in the knowledge that He was condemned so you wouldn’t have to be (Romans 8:1). Rest in His sovereignty. Rest in His goodness (Psalms 10315-19). Rest in the knowledge that the good work He began in you, in your husband, and in your children, will be completed (Phil. 1:6). He didn’t just start it, He didn’t just help it along; He will perfect the good work He began! It’s guaranteed! He is enough and sufficient to carry you through every challenge and difficulty. Do you believe He is enough?

“Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth” (Psalms 46:10).

Stop stressing and fighting for control…in your domain, over the hearts of your children, over financial control, independence, and stability. Stop stressing and losing sleep because you’re trying to solve all the problems around you. They are not problems for you to solve in the first place. God will be exalted in all the earth, and even in your domain. Could it really be that we are just pretending to be the god of our own domain?

I’ve been the one who stresses over every little mess in my house, over every toy out of its place (and finding myself more often throwing it away instead of putting it away), and every little person that is getting distracted from their duties as they goof off with one another. Could there possibly be more tears around here?

These are truths I have had to run to again and again and the act of running and choosing to believe yet again instead of allowing my thoughts to run down the wild unending anxiety train, has lead to unspeakable contentment.

I can testify that the more you are anchored in the Word of God and taking every thought captive to obedience to Jesus Christ (2 Cor 10:5), the more confident you will become in God and His good plan for you. The more your heart will sing for joy in the Lord!

But it all comes down to what you set your mind upon. Are you setting your mind on what is true and real? Or are you focusing on the “what if’s?” and “If only’s”? What if we had done something different in our business management? If only I hadn’t exposed my child to such and such, then this would never be a problem….These thoughts are fruitless! They only stir up anxiety and unrest.

Certainly I still struggle, but God has been faithfully leading and directing me and keeping me anchored in His Word and surrounded by a wealth of Godly friends and family in my church community speaking life and truth into my life for whom I’m so thankful. God is kind. 

Can you believe and rest instead of strive and stress today, dear sisters?

“Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.” (Psalms 46:10)