Humble over Hustle
How many of us feel the need to constantly hustle? I feel like I'm going from one place to the next forever staying busy and never slowing down. I say yes to too many things and want to be involved in everything. I want to be in control and I often get a bad case of FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) if I say no. Recently, God has been dealing with me about slowing down and humbling myself. Because when I hustle and do all the things I'm working so hard to do, I'm allowing myself to replace God because I want control. Yikes! However, rather than constantly hustling I've come to realize I have to humble myself and let God do the heavy lifting. We have to make sure we know our place and God's place in the scenario to find the thin humble over hustle line.
All too often I find myself answering the question of "How have you been?" with "Good, just super busy." I find myself exhausted, but not in a good way. I find that I'm worn out or on the verge of burnout from all the constant hustling. It's a ripple effect and a vicious cycle. I have this urge to constantly compete to be the best at everything and feel like I have to make my own future happen. But in reality, as a Christ follower, He can and wants to give me an amazing future. The biggest thing I've learned through this growth opportunity with God is having the right mindset. Am I going to have a hustle mindset or a humble mindset? When I have it in my head that I have to hustle to control everything, I get off track. But when I have the mindset that God is in control and I'm doing well with what He's given me to work on in this season, then I find peace in the day to day.
Recently I heard Pastor Andi Andrew say "You can walk today in God's grace or your own strength. You decide." This hit me like a ton of bricks when she said this because I know myself and my whole life I've striven to be the best at everything and this often resulted in me doing things in my own strength. As I've grown closer in my walk with God, I've learned to lean on Him more and more. It's not always easy because that old person comes creeping back out when I feel like things aren't going the way I thought they would. I cling tight to the known by saying yes to too many things and trying to make things happen on my own. Allowing God to be in control is a trust exercise, but I've found it to be so worth it to move out of the way and let God take the reigns.
The verse I've been clinging to in this growth season is "Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." -Colossians 3:12. That's the person I want to be. I don't want to be in full control if it means I'm not living a Christ-like life. I want to make sure that when people look at my life they see Jesus- not all that I can do, but rather all that He has done in and through me. I want to remain humble and never have to hustle.
Can you relate? Have you been so busy hustling that you're over committed and exhausted? It's time to take a step back, give it to God and ask Him to show you the areas He wants you to commit to in this season.
Lord, today I give you everything. I surrender all of the things I've been clinging to that have caused me to hustle rather than remain humble in you. I want your will and that means trusting you even when I can't see what's next or things aren't going how I thought they would. I want what you want. Teach me how to stay humble in a world that's loud and busy. Help me to find the quietness in each day and to walk in your grace. Help me to say yes to only the things you want me to focus on in this season. In your name, Amen.