As the school year ends for many of us, summer is within grasp, and there are many things to be excited about. As I was thinking about what the Lord has been placing on my heart recently, He has continuously whispered words of His care for me.
This has been my busiest semester in college filled with demanding classes, many fun social events with my friends, and a new job. I feel constantly pulled to stay dedicated in school, pour into girls around me whom the Lord gives me a heart for, and work hard at my job. Through it all, my personal time with Jesus has received less care than I desire.
Due to the busyness of this season, my relationship with Jesus becomes a list of tasks. This checklist relationship has left me feeling unfulfilled and desiring something deeper. My care from Him depends on my care for Him. A lie that I am letting myself believe is that His care for me has run out, because I lost the feeling of it and that I have not been living up to the standards I hold.
1 John 3:1 says, “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!”
Our identity as a child of God is unchanging.
The Father takes care of His child. Reading on, 1 John 3:19-21 says, “This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in His presence: If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and He knows everything. Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God.”
These verses speak truth into the confusion and lies. Our identity as children of God means we are cared for, loved unconditionally, desired, and cherished by God. This is who we are! This is the best thing about us! God wants the best for us, and He is not withholding goodness from us when we mess up or feel far from Him.
The second reality is this, we are called to set our hearts at rest before God, for there is no condemnation for those in Christ, (Romans 8:1). When we do condemn ourselves, God is greater than our hearts and knows the truth, and we can have confidence in this. We can rest in confidence before God that He cares for us, reminding our hearts and setting our minds on Jesus is how we should live!
This knowledge of care that God has for us leads us to rest. I can live out of His care and feel cared for, knowing that while in a busy season, Jesus wants me to rest. He does not condemn, but He calls us to true rest that is found through Him.
The reality is this: He has given you a perfect identity as His child, which means a new way of living with trust for Him and love from Him. We are given confidence that He cares for us despite our life circumstances, which calls us to rest and pursue goodness. Abiding (going along) in Him is so good for us and is the better choice for us!
I encourage you to think about the way you view God. When you picture Him looking at you,
what does His face look like? How do you think He views you as His child?
Liturgy about work and rest HERE