In the age of social media, the focus of likes, friends, and followers can lead us to creating a façade and an image to prove our worth or value.  We strive tirelessly to build careers, pursue education, create the lives we think will show our value and contribution to society.  We want to leave our mark and make a name for ourselves.

I spent so much of my life trying to prove that I wasn’t the labels put on me that showed my brokenness.  I wanted to prove that I was an overcomer.  I pursued education and a career to show I couldn’t be stopped by illness or hardship.  I’m not saying that it’s wrong to fight hard to overcome, but the focus was on me.  I was striving and fighting in my own strength.  It was exhausting, lonely, and not something I could sustain on my own.

I have realized that it was not ever something that I was supposed to do in my own strength.  See, I found that when I stepped back and surrendered the problems to God, I found rest.  I’m learning that my focus needs to be in abiding and having relationship with God.  

What does it mean to abide in Christ?  Sinclair Ferguson sums up abiding Christ this way, “In a nutshell, abiding in Christ means allowing His Word to fill our minds, direct our wills, and transform our affections. In other words, our relationship to Christ is intimately connected to what we do with our Bibles!”  It is making Christ the center of our lives and positioning ourselves to become more Christlike.

When we abide in Him, the rest will either fall into place or He will change our perspective to match His priorities and promises.  When we abide in Him, He does the overcoming.  There is nothing left to prove when we shift our focus from us to Him.  Our only responsibility is to seek Him, chase Him, give it to Him, and depend on Him.  He will do the rest.  He will prove what needs to be proving.

What things have you been trying to prove?  What are you striving to overcome on your own?  Friend, hand it over to God.  He wants you to find your rest in Him.  He wants to do the overcoming and transforming needed in your life.  I pray you find your rest in Him.  May we land on His grace.