Lent Day 28 - Just Receive

The anxiety of more has a profound way of being driven by not enough. Not enough is always looking for an excuse to prove its own point. It often does this by comparing to the more of others while highlighting the not enough of me. So, driven to be enough, I strategize, stretch, listen to podcasts, read books, get advice and obsess about how to get and be more. I can aimlessly scurry around chasing an arbitrary standard of more. Ironically, I'm not even sure what more actually is or what it looks like. More is always changing. Much like not enough is always looking for an excuse, more is always look for... more. Sounds crazy? IT IS!

One of the problems I encounter is I'm surrounded by high capacity friends who are constantly doing more and being a part of more. I want what they have. I believe I can have what they have and be a part of the more. This creates an utterly unholy discontent for where I am and what I'm a part of.

As this season has shown me, I have many different ailments of the curse of more. And, of course, it is born out of a belief of not enough. The spiritual leader known as John the Baptist was gaining incredible popularity and notoriety as a the leader of a powerful movement. At the peak of his success his followers started to follow a different spiritual leader. John's followers expressed this deep concern to John. His response, both humble and profound, "man can only receive what's been given to him from heaven" was both simple and profound. This truth is saving grace.

I know I'm to commit to the life in front me. I am not called to or responsible for anyone else's more. I'm called take what I have received in this life and doing something with it. Regardless of the high capacity and high impact of those around me, I am reminded today, that I can only receive what's been given to me from above. I'm not to handle more, and I'm not responsible for anything less. I have what I need and I have enough. Today I am committed to taking the incredible grace and resources I've been given and make something good of it.

John tells his followers that he must become less, so that Jesus can become more. When I endlessly pursue more from a place of not enough I make it all about me. When I just receive from above, it's all about God's creative and good movement in the world. I must become less, so He can become more.