All I Am is Yours

“A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold. The rich and the poor meet together; the Lord is the Maker of them all. The prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it. The reward for humility and fear of the Lord is riches and honor and life. Thorns and snares are in the way of the crooked; whoever guards his soul will keep far from them. Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:1-6, ESV)

I think as Christians, we sometimes feel this constant pressure of having to be perfect. We set these unrealistic expectations for ourselves of having to always be joyful and thankful and thriving in our walks with the Lord, yet the reality is, it’s not always like that. We come to the point of fearing struggle and hate to admit when we are facing it.

I want to start off today by expelling that lie from our minds. You don’t need to be perfect and you’re not supposed to be. Jesus was and will be the only person that lived in complete perfection. It’s okay to struggle. Its okay to have a bad day. Not everything is always going to be on the brightside. We have to acknowledge that and continue give our struggle to God.

I have always had this underlying need in my spirit to achieve perfection, thinking that I need to be thriving in area of my life to please God, which is completely backwards. I can never be perfect and I can never please God in every capacity. What is pleasing to God and healthy for our spirit is to face all the good, bad, and indifferent days we have with the love of Jesus dwelling in us. It’s more than okay– it’s actually necessary– for us to admit our struggles and be vulnerable with God. No hurt or frustration you are experiencing is too little or stupid in the eyes of your Savior. Let out your anguish and sadness with Him.

When we do this– when we empty ourselves at the altar of Jesus and ask Him for His guidance and comfort, we are setting ourselves up for personal growth. Don’t let the lie of the devil try to steal who you are in Jesus. Recently, during worship at my church, we sang a song and the last line in the chorus completely arrested my heart: “All I am is Yours.”

That is so comforting to me. All I am is His. Sometimes we get so caught up in who we are to this world– a college student, employee, daughter, and so on– that we forget that our one and only identity is being a child of God, cared for and prospering everyday in who He calls us to be. I pray that you would let whatever weight or stress you’ve been carrying to fall off your shoulders and into the hands of your Counselor, Savior, and Advocate. I’m sorry if your facing a season that is really pressing you, but know that God is there so love you and guide you through it, and there is nothing you will ever face alone.

I came across this key verse when it was the verse of the day and I just loved what it had to say. All the things it talks of are things we know and sometimes we even fear, yet Solomon is telling us that if we live in righteousness and with our eyes on the Lord, we will understand these things. If we truly love and trust the Lord with everything, we will walk through suffering confidently and make steps in faith without a care of what others think. He sums these opening statements up with verse 6 and simply says, “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.”

If you’re suffering right now or you know someone who has walked away from the Lord, know that in your suffering and even in their running, no one will ever be able to depart from the powerful truths known in Christ. You will always be God’s child... even when you feel like the biggest mess God has ever seen.

Proverbs 22:17-19 says, “Incline your ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply your heart to my knowledge, for it will be pleasant if you keep them within you, if all of them are ready on your lips. That your trust may be in the Lord, I have made them known to you today, even to you.” (ESV)

Know who you are, and don’t let the troubles of the world weigh heavy on you. Give them to God, grow by learning His truths, and open your ears to His guidance. We will never be perfect, but if we recognize the matchless grace we have been given, we can begin to grow each day through going from hopeless to encouraged, lonely to loved, and exhausted to awakened by the Holy Spirit's presence in your life.

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.” (John 10:27-28, ESV)

God is still carrying you, even if you feel weary. There is no moment you are ever alone. You are constantly in the presence of the one who cares for you most and you will find victory in your trials. Don’t lose hope.