Hey Friends —
How are you….really?
On a scale of 1 -10 (10 being fantastic, and 1 being fizzled out) — how are you these days?
I mentioned last week I was wrestling with the blues. Not easy to admit for an outgoing, encourager like me. I’d rather cheer you on — go, friend, go!!!
But I’ve promised you, I’ve promised myself, I’d always be real here.
And blue is how I was really doing.
Thankfully I’m making progress. Whew.
I’ve spent lots of 1:1 time in the Word, getting fresh air, hanging out with those I love, letting stuff go for now, laughing and celebrating…
My Family — love them 🙂
…and feeding myself with whole, good things. In fact, I may or may not have recently decided I’d give up coffee and caffeine as I pursue wholeness and healing. (What was I thinking?!) But hey — sometimes drastic times call for drastic measures. Right?!
In my desire to” # 5 — Pay Attention,” I’ve been reflecting on how to make different choices going forward. As I think about the life of Jesus, here are 5 things I noticed that Jesus didn’t do.
WJDD – What Jesus Didn’t Do
1. Jesus didn’t worry about what everyone else would think.
We don’t see Him wrestling with people pleasing. He was never like, “Oh no, they’re going to be so disappointed if I don’t come or take care of their needs.”
In fact, Jesus made choices that He knew would not please others. BUT He was so intimately aware of His specific purpose and calling, and stayed focused on His specific calling and mission, even when others didn’t understand.
2. Jesus didn’t compare Himself with others.
Jesus wasn’t on FB or Pinterest thinking – “I wish I looked more like Peter (built like a rock), or had fast running legs like John.”
Jesus’ days weren’t filled comparing or competing, but only completing the call God had for Him.
Jesus also didn’t spend anytime worried about His thighs, His calorie count, how much water He needed to get in during each day. Jesus understand His physical body was a temple to be used for Kingdom purposes.
Jesus knew His body was meant to be an instrument, not an ornament.
3. Jesus didn’t overfill His days.
We don’t see Him running from need to need, email to email, from morning to night with way too much to do and no space even to breath.
Jesus took time to rest, to pray, to celebrate, and to just be still and enjoy the company of those closest to Him.
His pace was one of purpose, not hurried or rushed.
4. Jesus didn’t fill His days with should’s.
Isn’t this good news? Y’all I couldn’t find even one “should.” Never did Jesus say….
- I should bring a meal.
- I should sign up to help.
- I should serve since no one else is willing.
- I should check in and see how they are doing or they’ll be disappointed.
Instead, He was so connected to His heavenly Father, He knew what assignments were His to complete — and He did them joyfully (Hebrews 12:2) — but Jesus let go of unrealistic expectations and “should’s.”
5. Jesus didn’t do everything Himself.
Instead we see Jesus training and equipping others to help Him complete His work, even though it wasn’t going to be perfect. Clearly His disciples were definitely still learning. But Jesus saw the value of involving others to help.
Jesus let go of perfect – even though He was perfect in every way, for the joy of seeing others use their gifts for His Kingdom work.
Ok friends, your turn.
As you look over the WJDD list, are there any surprises? Which is the hardest for you to carry out in your everyday life? How do you intentionally pursue wholeness? How are you, really? I’d love to hear from you!
Thanks for stopping by, sweet friend. May your week be filled with much love, grace, patience and joy! You are so dearly loved!
Sweet Blessings,
Oh, Cindy! I needed this. Thank you for sharing these insights. I feel like I can breathe as sigh of relief I didn’t even know I was holding. I’m not blue but I’m about to enter a challenging season as I play caregiver to my mom who is having her hip replaced today. I’ve been struggling with all kinds of fear and worry but guess what? Those are two more things Jesus didn’t do! This post was a huge encouragement and reminded me of what really matters, what’s really expected of me, and helped to dispell these worries and doubts! Thanks, Cindy!