Sometimes I feel like nothing I’m doing is working. Do you have those days too? those months? those years? Please say yes.
Everyone enjoys success, accolades, affirmation, and results. For goodness sakes, we live in a time of “likes,” “retweets,” “shares,” and “repins.” There’s built-in esteem builders and approval all around us, but the flip-side is that it also means there are many opportunities for feeling unsuccessful, lacking, and ineffective.
“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, test after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.” -1 Corinthians 9:23-27
I’ve been thinking, lately, on the fact that all the areas in which I’m striving are all things that
TAKE TIME…
They are endeavors that do not get completed and quickly checked off the list, nor produce immediate results, nor offer a steady stream of validation:
- The job-well-done in motherhood may not be seen for years to come.
- There aren’t any “likes” clicked for all the floors scrubbed in a month’s time.
- Starting a school and a church are not checklist endeavors.
- A true friendship is a marathon, not a sprint.
- Blogging isn’t either, it’s easy to want to quit when you think you aren’t making a difference.
- Well done, good and faithful servant doesn’t come until the race is run.
“Cease striving and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” -Psalm 46:10
If we focus on making much of ourselves, we will feel like failures.
If we focus on making much of God, we will simply go where He leads, and leave the results to HIm.
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” -Colossians 3:23-24
The most worthwhile pursuits are often the most challenging, and most likely to leave you feeling unsuccessful. Take heart, friend, you work for an audience of One, and He is the ultimate reward. Choose this day to worship and to make today about bringing glory to His work in you!
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You are not the only one, I am definitely having a season of feeling this way. And instead of feeling like a season, it feels like a sentence. We homeschool, but our district requires frequent testing of our kids, and two of mine aren’t “at expected levels” (and I was a teacher, so I can see that they are progressing, and they deeply understand what we are doing – so if it weren’t for tests, I’d feel fine), my husband is working far from home, so much of the time I’m a single mother to 5, there have been several traumatic events in our immediate and extended family in the last 18mo and I’m weary.
I know that God affirms me because he confirmed these things for me – but sometimes I miss the annual reviews and pay raises of the work world to provide a tangible pat on the back. I miss other professionals seeking me out because they value my experience, opinion, and expertise.
I very much appreciate your willingness to share on your blog. blessings to you.
Janelle-thank you for your comment, and your honesty! It is so hard isn’t it, when our culture gives tells us that success and affirmation is measured in one way, and in Christ, is to die to self, to decrease, to be less self-sufficient. Blessings to you, as you lean upon the Grace of our Lord in this season.
This was so good I had to retweet it.
Love you…praying for you guys…
Thanks for re-tweeting!
Gotta keep it real around here…
You are not the only one. So many times I try, and so many times I fail. I love reading your blog on FB, so much that I recently became a regular suscriber to email. Your thoughts, your words, your inspiration, your insight, your faith. . . are amazing to me. As a matter of fact, you never cease to amaze me in your daily life. Where I struggle, you lift me up. What I need to hear, you provide. I am so thankful that God has put you in my life. You have truly been a blessing to me over the years. . . I guess it’s about time I told you.
Aimee, that is such a kind, and humbling compliment. I will treasure your words here. We think of you guys often, and pray for you when we do.
Thank you, thank you, thank you. You described my need for external accolades so well.. I needed the reminder that I am working for an audience of One and not for my glory, but HIS! I loved the comments today too.
Thank you, again, Ruth!
Michelle- Thank you for your input here…it really is encouraging to “hear” from the community on this blog. I have really been blessed by the comments today too!
Maybe you read my post this week or have just seen the same rhythm of posts I have seen, because I have seen a lot of women down and disappointed and feeling defeated.
Thank you for this in particularly :If we focus on making much of ourselves, we will feel like failures.
If we focus on making much of God, we will simply go where He leads, and leave the results to HIm.
We all want to be noticed or make a difference or notoriety of some sort for different reasons. We tend to thrive on “checking” our social media stuff, who’s following, who liked, who comment–I try to limit my social media for this reason, so I do FB and my blog/email. Anyway, Thomas Merton has a great quote about not being swayed by either a positive comment or a negative one, and that we would only find our source of contentment in the Lord, not outside of Him. To remain neutral to what the world and people around us think about us.
I also liked you list of not seeing things yet into full fruition, but one thing that is cool is that since my daughter is almost 17, I’ve seen a lot of the mothering I’ve done come into fruition in her life, it’s been amazing and uplifting to see.
Thanks for the encouragement Ruth!!!! And wisdom…
I can only imagine how encouraging it is to faithfully carry out the mission of motherhood, and reap the rewards as your child becomes an adult!
Amen and amen. Thanks, Ruth.
Wow thanks again for pointing us to Christ. I have always thrived on accomplishments and affirmation. At this point in my life I feel like I am working and striving harder than I ever have before but receiving little affirmation and often I feel misunderstood. I keep being drawn back to the realization that I can’t look for approval from man but I must choose to please God.
I love this:
“The most worthwhile pursuits are often the most challenging, and most likely to leave you feeling unsuccessful.”
Mary, I so appreciate your honesty hear, and I so understand. Praying for you and I, both, to know the sufficiency of Christ…in all things!
Just thought I’d say you’re making a difference. Sometimes it’s really easy in things like blogging if you feel like no one’s reading it, or if they /were/ and it was making a difference they’d comment or stuff like that. And it’s really easy to just think that your efforts aren’t being noticed or appreciated so you might as well quit. But like you said, it’s not that simple. Things worth doing often you don’t see the reward until later on.
So yeah, just thought I’d say I recently found your blog and really appreciate it. For some crazy 17 year old girl who’s trying to figure out what she’s doing with her life, it’s a nice place to come and read some stuff that’s true and is often a good reminder. Thanks for finding time to share your thoughts on what you’re learning.