Stop Striving

I wanna be rich!

For a solid 5 years of my life (probably longer, but I can specifically point to a 5 year span), I wanted to be rich. It’s funny because never before and not since have I cared about money like that. I’ve always appreciated nice things, but money never had a grip on my heart like it did then.

For a while, I was on that path. It all feel apart in 2009, and it’s one of the best things ever to happen to me.

Spacious. Quiet. Peaceful.

I’ve come to see prosperity much differently over the last 5 years. In God’s economy, prosperity is less about money (though I still struggle with this), and more about peace, quiet and space. I was reminded of this yesterday morning reading the account of a group of Israelites entering the Promised Land –

They found lush pastures there, and the land was spacious, quiet, and peaceful.  – 1 Chronicles 4:40

Lush pastures

We are in the final stages of prepping to move into our new home. The last several weeks, I’ve done a lot of traveling to and from that home to with a list of subcontractors and do work myself. The route I most often take leads me past a valley of green, lush grass leading to acres of trees. Immediately before the trees is a house with a backyard pool and huge tree and treehouse. It’s always appears quiet, peaceful and spacious.

This is a mental picture of where I want God to take me and my family…not literally, but emotionally, spiritually and financially.

There’s always a catch.

We all want peace. We can be fooled into believing if we only work hard enough we’ll find it. If we only strive a little further we’ll find green pastures.

Here’s the catch. I can’t get there on my own. I can’t strive hard enough to see it. In fact, the more I strive the farther away I’ll end up from my goal. I might be successful; I might be rich, but I won’t be in a spacious, quiet and peaceful place.

To find true and lasting peace, we must allow God to take us into those places. It’s what He did for His people thousands of years ago. It’s what God wants to do for us today. He leads us into spacious, quiet and peaceful places.

Stop striving.