Cease Striving and Know that I am God

"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

You may also know this verse as "Be still and know that I am God . . ."

I was talking to a friend last night and she brought up this verse.  She has been going through a job search for awhile now, and has been struggling to not get discouraged.  She wants to achieve something by getting a great job that she has studied years to be qualified for, and that pressure to "succeed" weighs heavily upon her.  

That intense pressure to succeed. . . where does it come from?  

Does it come from people around us?  Sure.  Our parents?  Sometimes.  Culture and Society?  Yes.  But, most often, it comes from ourselves.

We are the ones who impose stress upon ourselves to live up to certain standards that may or may not be the standards our God has for us. 

Thus, we listen again to the words of this verse:

"Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."

Pause and take a deep breath.  

Are you "striving"?  

Striving does not mean aiming to do your best at what you do.  God does want us to live lives of excellence that reflect His glory to others.  He's not telling us to live sloppy lives.  This verse doesn't mean stop trying. 

It does mean stop trying to make it all happen by yourself.

How does this verse speak to you today?  What area(s) of your life are you "striving" in?  What are you trying to make happen that you should be allowing God to have control over?  Where are you relying on yourself instead of Him?  

In what areas have you imposed arbitrary standards upon yourself that you have no business trying to wear yourself out to achieve?

Something to think about today, friends.

Much love to you all.