“Nothing to Prove, Nothing to Provide”
Kyle Stutzman
You ever have a moment in life where you gave someone a task? Maybe it was a coworker, or a spouse, or a child. You notice them not able to do it, or doing it poorly, and it starts driving you crazy! So you have this thought: “Fine, I’ll do it myself!” I know I’ve been there, and I’m sure almost anyone has been. One of the things God has revealed to me recently is that I put this thought into practice in almost every avenue of my life. Whether it be for people I care about, or what I think God “should” be doing. My approach has been: “I have to make this happen!” “It’s up to me I guess.” What’s crazier is I didn’t realize how much I truly operated this way. And my conviction has been that not only am I lacking faith, I’m trying to take Jesus’ place as the sovereign one over my life.
I know that’s a hardcore thought. But I’m sure if you really reflect, you may see it in your own life. What areas are you “being Jesus”? Do you feel the need to control and fix your kids when they aren’t doing exactly what you want them to? Do you feel the need to take on and fix every situation your spouse walks through? Do you ever find yourself trying to take care of everything, and when people ask how you are, you simply respond “I’m fine”? When hardship comes your way, do you find yourself drowned in fear, wondering what you’re going to do? This is the kind of thinking I’m talking about.
This week, in a moment of reflective silence, I heard God say this to me: “You have nothing to prove, and nothing to provide.” It’s such an interesting concept. But as I sat on it, I felt so much freedom come from it! God is the one in control of my life. God is the sovereign one, I’m not. Jesus is the one who lived the perfect life, I’m not. God is the one who sees and plans all things, and knows the plans He has for the people I love, I’m not. God knows everything and everyone better than I ever could. God loves me more than I could ever imagine, and I don’t have to bring anything to the table, because He already brought everything.
So my prayer for you is to be encouraged. You have nothing to prove. God loves you, God has plans for you. Nothing can change that. And you have nothing to provide. You don’t have to attain a certain level of “perfection.” You don’t have to perform. And you don’t have to fix everything and everyone. Let God be the Fixer, Redeemer, Grace Giver, and Mighty Lord in your life. When we try to attain our own righteousness, when we try to take the place of Jesus, we fall apart. I honestly think we feel like it’d be easier if we had the checklist. If we could just say “Lord, give me the list and I’ll accomplish it! Then I’ll be worthy and everything will be fixed!” But all He asks of us is to come to Him, and follow Him. May you be encouraged in the sovereignty of God, and the wonderful power of Jesus Christ! I’ll leave you with an incredible, and slightly sarcastic, quote from Robert Capon.
“Lord, please restore to us the comfort of merit and demerit. Show us that there is at least something we can do. Tell us that at the end of the day there will at least be one redeeming card of our very own. Lord, if it is not too much to ask, send us to bed with a few shreds of self-respect upon which we can congratulate ourselves. But whatever you do, do not preach grace. Give us something to do, anything; but spare us the indignity of this indiscriminate acceptance.”
― Robert Farrar Capon, Between Noon & Three: Romance, Law & the Outrage of Grace