4. God is more than capable of achieving his plan for the universe without my help.
(Before looking at the questions below, take a few minutes to think about this statement. Invite Jesus to speak to you about what He would like you to notice.)
WHAT DISCIPLINES OR PRACTICES DO YOU ENGAGE IN FOR THE PURPOSE OF “LETTING GO” OF YOUR WORK AND ITS OUTCOMES?
HOW WOULD YOU RATE YOURSELF ON A “WORRY SCALE” THAT IS, HOW MUCH DO YOU WORRY, ESPECIALLY ABOUT YOUR WORK? WHAT DO YOU SENSE JESUS WOULD SAY TO YOU ABOUT THIS?
WHAT DO YOUR SLEEP PATTERNS TELL YOU ABOUT YOUR ABILITY TO LET GO AND LET GOD BE IN CHARGE OF YOUR ACTIVITIES?
It is natural for us to desire to be valued and worthy. We want to be needed, significant and perhaps even indispensable. Often, we seek to establish our value and importance through our work. Though it is not wrong to desire that our work be significant, this desire can lead to an unhealthy sense of self-importance and an improper use of our work for selfish reasons.
Left unchecked, our pride can lead us to believe that we are more important than is true. The Apostle Paul tells us: “Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, (Romans 12:3, NIV). So how do we do this? One way is to simply remind ourselves that we are not God, and the world does not depend on us. The universe has existed for a very long time before we were born, and it likely will continue long after we have exited our time on earth. The God who created the universe and humankind, never was and never will be in trouble if we, humanity, don’t “show up and do our job.” Jesus, in Luke 19:40 says: “‘I tell you,’ he replied, ‘if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.’”
God is not out of options if we fail to do our job. Besides reminding ourselves of our limitations, there are some practices that we can choose to help us not to think more highly of ourselves than we should. Sleep is one of those practices.
It has been said that sleep is when we let God run the universe. Notice your sleep patterns. The human body needs about 8 hours of sleep each day. If we have filled our lives with so many things that keep us from this 8-hour rest period, then we are likely making our efforts and ourselves too important.
The discipline of secrecy, doing things without being noticed, is another way to curb our desire for importance. Finally, sabbath, intentionally wasting time for a day each week, can help break our addiction to work and what it brings to us.
Ordering the importance of our work, thinking of ourselves with “sober judgment,” may be difficult in a culture where so much value and emphasis is placed on accomplishments. But doing so can bring a lightness and freedom to our lives. It can be freeing to know that I am ultimately not responsible for accomplishing and acquiring the things I think I need.
Ponder the gift of Jesus’ words in Matthew: “The birds of the air…do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?... For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:26-27, 32-33, NIV).
To be responsible may make us feel important but to not be responsible frees us from a burden we were not intended to carry. God delights in our work, but God does not depend on our work. This, too, is very good.