Learning to love WHILE simplifying!
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A while back, the Lord convicted me of something…a way I was thinking and therefore acting. It all has to do with this journey the Lord has me on…the journey to simplify areas of my life and to love deeply. The problem is that I had fallen into thinking that it was the simplifying that would allow me to love deeply and that is not totally true.
God wants me to love deeply while He takes me on this journey of simplifying!
I don’t know about you, but I tend to at times default into a way of thinking…
“When I find the perfect curriculum…then our homeschool will run smoothly and the kids will enjoy learning.”
“When the house is all picked up and cleaned…then I can rest and not be so irritable.”
“When I find that perfect parenting book…then I can start doing it right as a parent.”
“When my life is less complicated and busy…then I won’t get so impatient and frustrated.”
And now this year that the Lord has me on a journey to simplify….”When my life and home are simplified…then I can deeply love my husband, children, and friends.”
Where I have gone wrong is thinking that fixing up something on the outside has to happen first before God can change me on the inside.
It has been a lot of fun the past few months as I have really worked on simplifying areas of my life…but I have fallen into thinking that I can “do” all these things to simplify and then sometime in the future can then learn to deeply love. This is what the Lord convicted me of.
I do believe God is calling me to simplify my life and to love deeply….but not first one and then the other. God is wanting me to learn to love deeply AS He takes me through this journey of simplifying my life.
God can change me right now…in the midst of the process.
I can get so wrapped up in making all these “changes”, that I fail to allow the Lord to work in me and change ME!
If you are joining me this year in this journey to simplify, I want to encourage you to take a look at your own motives. Are you making these changes so that you can “then” love, be happy, have peace, have rest, etc.? God wants to change you NOW. He wants to give you love, happiness, peace, and rest in Him…NOW!
Now that the Lord has shown me my error, I am being more aware of the work He wants to do in my life through this journey of simplifying.
Thank you, Lord, for your faithfulness in showing me my error and helping me get back on track.
This is very timely!! I often fall into this trap. Thanks for the encouragement!!
You are welcome Cyndi!
This is a helpful insight; even though we try to do things the best we can, we are imperfect and it’s a good thing God loves us right now, even though we haven’t “got it all together.” But his love can still be poured out, even though it may be in imperfect “earthen vessels.”
Exactly Diane! You expressed that so beautifully. Have a wonderful week!
LOVE THIS!! I think many of us fall into this trap of when_____happens then things will be better in _____way. With this trap we are always looking for peace, joy, love, etc.. after we have performed or someTHING has changed. God wants us to have this even amidst the chaos and difficulties. Nothing we can do or a change in circumstances will make it happen. It is what He does! It makes it easier to get through the day to day stuff when these heart things are already in place. I am speaking to myself as I write this. This is a common trap I fall into time and again. Thank you for sharing what the Lord is teaching you.
Thank you for sharing. It seems the Lord has a lot of us in this “place”. Blessings!