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Last year I decided that I want to start intentionally reflecting and keeping track of the things I learn in life and walking with Jesus each year, and I thought it would be fun to share it with you.

So, here’s a sneak peek into the things I journal.  I hope you learn from these too.

1. Rest is important.

So I’m a millennial, which means I’m trying to get this “adulting” thing figured out, and 97% of the time I feel like I’m failing miserably at it.

We live in a culture that values busyness and production.  If you’re not pushing yourself to the limits then you’re not a hard worker and if you ever take some down time then you’re lazy.  I bought into this hard core over the last couple years.

I was juggling full-time ministry, a part-time job, a blog, maintaining relationships and life responsibilities.  I was overwhelmed and in denial about it.  I would feel guilty for resting and recreation, and if I maxed out my capacities but still couldn’t balance it all I would feel like a failure.  Because being a productive, successful adult means making it all work out even if you genuinely tried and it’s still not practically possible, right? (insert eye roll)

After a while, I would try to scale back a bit when I could.  I reached a point where I just had to for the sake of sleep and sanity.  And I realized that if I’m overwhelmed with work and ministry events, taking a night off to read or watch Netflix and going back to my tasks the next day really helped my productivity.  I was alert and way more effective.

I realized that if I was fatigued from staring at my laptop for hours, walking away for a while to spend time with God and going back to work later helped my focus and I got more done over time.

Pushing myself even when I was exhausted and ineffective didn’t actually help me execute my responsibilities better.

I mostly work from home, by the way, and my ministry schedule is uniquely flexible.  I realize not everyone can practically take work breaks whenever and get back to it later.  It will look different for your responsibilities and schedule, but my point is that when I allowed myself to rest and rejuvenate I was better for it all around – practically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

Unless the Lord builds a house, the work of the builders is wasted. Unless the Lord protects a city, guarding it with sentries will do no good.

It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to His loved ones. (Psalm 127:1-2)

Several months ago, God reminded me of Psalm 127:1-2. The truth in those verses is why this new realization of valuing rest and recreation worked in my life.  The world values over-working, over-extension and busyness because it mistakes those things for true productivity.  God values intentionality and rest because He values genuine productivity, purpose and balance.

God wants us to faithfully devote ourselves to the things that matter – the things He has called us to focus on in the current season – and He wants us to rest and play appropriately.  That balance of intentional work, rest and play creates true productivity.

Ask God what that balance looks like for you and how to implement it in your life.

2. There are no shortcuts.

I started this blog a little over a year ago.  I don’t know how you handle transitions and taking on new endeavors, but I put a ridiculous amount of pressure on myself to get things right, produce results and do it fast. This blog was no exception.

I want to learn my craft and steward this platform for ministry well.  I want to do my part to help the things God has given me to share reach all the people He wants it to.  Up until recently, though, most of my efforts to do that were driven by my feelings of inadequacy at “marketing” and figuring out how to overcome social media algorithms, and the fear that I would never get my content in front of the “right audience” and become a “successful blogger.”

I love to geek out about all things music and music industry related and something I’ve heard artists and industry people say repeatedly in interviews I’ve watched since I was a kid is that it takes ten years to become an overnight success.  I don’t know how accurate their math is, but the concept has always stuck with me.  Growth takes time.

So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time He will lift you up in honor. (1 Peter 5:6)

There are so many passages in the Bible talking about things that take time to grow.  The process of planting, watering, and harvesting seeds in the hearts of people as we share the gospel and God causes those seeds to grow into faith in Jesus (1 Corinthians 3:5-9).  The reminders not to exalt ourselves to honor and position but to humbly serve others and allow God to exalt us in His way and His time (Matthew 20:20-28 // Luke 14:7-11 // 1 Peter 5:6).  Both life and the Bible make it clear: there are no shortcuts.

That could be a discouraging statement, but it actually takes a lot of pressure off when you think about it.

If there are no shortcuts, if life is a process, if we’re not supposed to reach all our goals overnight, then you are free to stop beating yourself up over not “getting it right” fast enough and just enjoy the journey. You’re free to focus on the qualitative why that prompted you to do what you’re doing not just the what of trying to produce quantitative results from it.

There are no shortcuts.  Growth takes time.  Success doesn’t happen overnight.

Which leads me to my next point…

3. Success isn’t what you think.

One night God reminded me that I created this blog as a ministry first and foremost, prompted by my desire and His invitation (and the hundreds of Bible study documents I was writing to no one but my computer and myself). I did this as a way to bring Him glory and help people get to know Him using the gifts He’s given me for writing and for teaching His Word.

He started showing me two really important things about how to evaluate success through His eyes from Matthew 6:1-18 and Matthew 25:14-30.

• I need to do what I do in service to God and others for the admiration, recognition and reward of God, not the admiration, recognition and reward of people. 

“Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven…Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. (Matthew 6:1-18)

I need to serve God and others for the sake of His praise and for the sake of helping others, not to be admired and popular.

In Jesus’ teaching on spiritual disciplines in Matthew 6:1-18, He bears this out as He talks about not only doing the right things but doing them for the right reasons.

• God defines success as obedience and faithfulness to what He’s called us to do, not by results.

¹⁹ “After a long time their master returned from his trip and called them to give an account of how they had used his money. ²⁰ The servant to whom he had entrusted the five bags of silver came forward with five more and said, ‘Master, you gave me five bags of silver to invest, and I have earned five more.’

²¹ “The master was full of praise. ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’

(Matthew 25:14-30)

Each of the servants in the parable in Matthew 25:14-30, were given different amounts of money to manage and the first two servants each increased what they were originally entrusted with by different amounts.  Yet when the master returned to receive an account from them he praised them both for their stewardship and rewarded each of them with more responsibility.  The last servant wasn’t praised and rewarded because he didn’t do anything with what was entrusted to him for fear that it wouldn’t be enough.

The point is not whether what God gives you to steward in life looks exactly like what someone else has been given or how big, impactful and famous we make whatever gifts, assignments and responsibilities He entrusts to us.  His interest is that we are obedient to do the things He calls us to do in His Word and as His Spirit leads us and we are faithful to stick with it unless He redirects. (Matthew 7:24-27 // Galatians 5:25)

I’ve learned that if you keep these two things in perspective, you’ll be more at peace and pure in motive.

If you serve God and others for the right reasons and remember how God evaluates your impact, you’ll be successful in God’s eyes now and in eternity no matter what the results or recognition from people look like on earth.

I’m excited to expand on this in a future blog post, stay connected so you don’t miss it.

Let’s Talk: Which of these points can you relate to most and why?  What’s something God taught you last year?  Discuss today’s post in the comments below.

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