I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.
– Psalm 16:8
Everything felt like it was spinning out of control. I drove home with one eye open, and the other closed in pain from what I now know to be a migraine. By the next morning, I anxiously sent the dreaded text no Enneagram 3 “Achiever” ever wants to type; “I’m sick, and I won’t be coming to work today.” As I laid motionless in my pitch-black bedroom, I wondered how I’d let stress have this much power over my life.
To figure out why my poor brain felt the need to go into self-preservation mode rather than function normally, I did what any woman would do and made what I’d call a “stress list.” On this list, I brain dumped all the things I was committed to, worried about, or planning in the next month. By the time I hit page three of notes, to-dos, and responsibilities, I realized why my migraine meltdown had taken place. I didn’t know how to say no.
In an effort to combat the insecurities I’d been having about feeling unaccomplished and unsettled in my home, friendships, church, and career, I said yes to everything that came my way. Productivity was my mantra and busy was my battle-cry. Freelance projects, volunteering, work calls after hours, friend dates, you name it. I filled up every inch of my calendar because I was operating out of my feelings of insecurity rather than finding my security from the Lord from the get-go.
When we let God tell us who we are and what we should focus on, our confidence has a firm foundation. We are secure in our abilities and sure about our decisions and future. Sounds great, right?
So what does security from the Lord look like? How can we live our daily lives with confidence instead of fear of failing or letting others down? For starters, it means knowing that our worth is defined from our relationship with God, not other people, experiences, or possessions. It means asking the Lord for wisdom when choices come our way and seeking His loving reassurance when insecurity creeps in. Lastly (and for me, most importantly), it means creating some margin for God to provide for our needs instead of trying to fill those voids ourselves.
Let me spell it out loud and clear for the people in the back.
When we know WHO we are and WHOSE we are, we’re able to make better decisions, prioritize well, and resist the urge to try to be all the things to all the people.
We don’t have to seek approval or find our confidence from people-pleasing or achieving. As a follower of Jesus, your future in heaven is secure, and because of that, you can know (like the Psalmist) the Lord is at your right hand, and you will not be shaken in the long run.
Challenge: Write out a list of all your goals, to-do lists, and responsibilities. Are you trying to find your security or worth in any of these tasks? Is there anything you can take off the list to create margin in your life?
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Jantzen Jolly-Miller is a small business marketing professional and freelance faith writer who is on a mission to help women get real: real with themselves, with their business, and with their relationship with God and His church. In addition to being the lead content writer for Wheat and Honey Co., she blogs about personal takeaways from her life and faith walk to help women create positive change in their everyday routines at JantzenJollyMiller.com