Exhausted by Your To-Do List? Find Real Hope Beyond Striving
I had a doctor's appointment last week, and we talked through some important changes I need to make for my health. That, aligned with our recent crossing over the mid-point of the year, set my overachiever heart aflutter.
It seemed like the perfect time to imagine all the things that could be as I determined a path that would allow me to make some much-needed changes.
🌿The List That Was Supposed to Help
Before I knew it, I'd identified twelve goals.
TWELVE!
Oh, they were good things: more water, more walking, more writing, more quiet time. And that only partially covered my personal list.
But pondering those changes didn't leave me feeling hopeful.
I felt overwhelmed.
🌿What the Experts Might Say
Now, my favorite productivity podcast would tell me I simply needed to hone my list to three items. That would give me greater focus.
And of course I'd be on the right track if I added specifics about when I wanted to accomplish each goal and envisioned results that could be measured.
But my sweet friend, this was a great time for me to make a much more important reset, and I'm wondering if you might need a reminder, too.
🌿What I Really Need is R.E.S.T.
When my tendency to seek control through the mighty to-do list begins to rage, I need to pause and remember the R.E.S.T. framework that we've learned. I need to...
R stands for Realize and Relationship: I need to Realize that I will never find hope in any to-do list (no matter how pretty the planner I'm using might be) and that I'm actually created to be in Relationship with God through Jesus. He loves me even when my to-do list items are left undone or the scale takes a turn in the wrong direction
E reminds me that I have to stop and Evaluate my priorities and circumstances in light of the Eternal. See, I know God has created good things for me to do (Ephesians 2:10) -- like writing these words to encourage you in your faith journey. The enemy would love nothing more than to get me so distracted with a thousand lists of must-dos and then leave me heartbroken and sad when I inevitably don't measure up to my own impossible standards.
That brings us to S, which stands for Stop Striving and Surrender. That heart posture doesn't mean I give up hope of a different, healthier future or that I should never have any goals. The goals themselves aren't the problem. The problem comes when I start to believe that how I measure up to them defines my identify. God's in charge of that. Period. Full stop.
Which brings us to T. The only choice I can make if He is Lord of my life is to Trust Him and live Transformed.
🌿Laying Down the List
So once again I'm surrendering my massive to-do list and my overachieving tendencies to start a new journey — not toward doing more, but toward true hope.
We need to keep reminding ourselves and each other that God isn't the one driving us to do more. He sent Jesus to save us so that we could have life and have it abundantly (John 10:10).
He never meant for us to be running around like crazy trying to earn the love He so freely gave. Instead He offers us forgiveness when we recognize we are hopeless without Jesus and invite Him to be Lord of our lives. After that, we have amazing hope that will last for eternity.
Hope that holds when the to-do list remains undone.
Hope that whispers peace into the storms of our lives.
Hope that doesn't depend on our performance.
🌿This is the Journey We're Taking
So, I'm inviting you to join me on the Rest, Not Striving journey, where we're going to take a deep dive into what true hope really means.
Here's our first lesson: Hope was never meant to exhaust us.
We live in light of our personal relationship with the One described as the "Living Hope." He's not demanding more from us. He is offering peace and rest when we fully trust in Him and chose to be obedient to what He calls us to do instead of choosing to wander in the wilderness of our own well-intentioned strategies and striving.
Over the next several posts we'll be exploring the idea of hope, focusing in on not what it means to cross our fingers and make a wish but on how we can draw closer to the One Who Loves Us So Very Much.
Let's walk this road together to draw nearer to Him, one unhurried, grace-filled step at a time.
🌿Walking in Faith Toward Real Hope
If this post speaks to your heart, I’d love for you to take a few quiet moments today and ask God where He’s inviting you to rest — not because you’ve earned it, but because you don't have to earn it. He just loves you.
You're also welcome to share your comments below -- that's always such an encouragement to me.
Then share this journey with a friend who might need this reminder too.
