But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
Isaiah 40:31
I remember when my middle daughter was around eighteen months old and wanted to do everything on her own - "I got it!" she would proclaim repeatedly, attempting actions way beyond her ability. She was determined to do things independently and refused any help, but this often left her crying on the ground when she failed.
And isn't this just how we are, too?
"I got it!"
We might declare we need God with our lips, but with our lives we often deny His help, refusing to depend on Him. We live predominantly independent lives, attempting to control it all and hold everything together. Instead of trusting in God, we are trusting in ourselves.
I have been guilty of this again and again - mothering my girls in self-sufficiency. Turning inward for motivation, for happiness, for strength. Turning to lots of sources, tuning out the Source of all things. And I can promise you it never leads to to anything good - I find myself spinning on a hamster wheel; going nowhere and gaining nothing. Running ragged and trying to control all of the outcomes, pouring out to my kids from my own depletion. Wouldn't recommend it. I have found that self-sufficiency leaves us in survival mode (defined as "continuous, unresolved stress") because it all rides on us.
I have found the better Way to be counterintuitive, to be subtle and surprising. It involves walking in weakness and making the decision every day to depend on Jesus. This is where where we will find what we truly need for the marathon of motherhood. Here are a few blessings that we receive when we walk in trust and dependence rather than attempting to be self-sufficient:
We will be strengthened - "But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint" (Isaiah 40:31).
We will be shepherded - "He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those who have young" (Isaiah 40:11).
We will be surrounded - "Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people both now and forevermore" (Psalm 125:1-2).
We will be sustained - "Cast your cares on the LORD and He will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken" (Psalm 55:22).
We will be satisfied - "Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind, for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things" (Psalm 107:8-9).
Will we accept these gifts from God, these blessings He wants to bestow upon us?
It's not necessarily easy - this daily decision to walk in dependence. It's countercultural and goes against our natural bend. But if we will surrender and cease our strivings, choosing to depend, we will find God to provide in every way - and even beyond what we could ask for or imagine.
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