Have you ever felt like this isn't enough? What you have or where you’re at in life isn't enough. Often, you spend your days imagining ways you could elevate, and every morning, you wake up wishing you were in the next season of life. You feel unsatisfied with where God has placed you. Unsatisfaction is the reason why this society is so fast-paced. We always chase the next thing, thinking it will make us happy or fulfilled. And when we achieve what we hoped for, we fall victim to trying to get more and never being satisfied with what we have or where we are.
Recently, I fell victim to this cycle as well. Every morning, my mind would be in grind mode because I was ambitious to get to the next level. My to-do list consists of never-ending tasks that seem impossible to complete in one day. Throughout the day, I would feel overwhelmed with thoughts of feeling like I wasn’t doing enough. And at the night's end, even though exhaustion took over, sleep became an option instead of a priority. Then, I would wake up the next day and do it again. In the midst of it all, I’ve neglected my trustworthy source. I sacrificed the time I should have spent with God because I thought I could get what I wanted by my toil or might. But it’s foolish of me to forget that all the blessings I'm chasing solely come from The Hand of God.
As I was sitting at my dining table one quiet afternoon, I think I’ve reached my breaking point of being in this rat race. So I asked the Lord, “How can I be successful in a Godly way?” And one thing I’ve learned about God is that he answers your questions before you ask him. Previously, I continuously heard messages and confirmations of being still. As I let the words “Be still” penetrate my heart, my eyes were enlightened, and The Lord transformed my desires. I began recognizing all the tools and wisdom God was equipping me with for the next season, and that made me appreciate where I was at. There were specific areas I needed to grow in and particular sins & strongholds I needed to eliminate before God could promote me. Most people sacrifice the lessons they need to learn and endure many hardships because they don’t recognize that true success is in the preparation.
God knows our heart's desire and will give it to us when we ask if it’s according to his will. Matthew 7:11 NLT proves it, but we have to be still for the preparation. The Lord is an intentional and strategic God. He knows which environment, circumstances, and people will stretch our capacity to grow in him.
Lately, I've been paying attention to the trees in my backyard, and I've noticed that each tree produces different leaves in different seasons. The environment of the current season is preparing the tree for the new leaves it will bear in the next season. This analogy is similar to how our lives operate — the environment of our current season is preparing us for what's to come in our next season. So, we must learn to be still like trees planted firmly and whose roots are deep in the Word of God. And one more thing that I would like to emphasize as a Christian is we have to learn to say, “Not my will, but thine be done.”
Linda Smith