When in Doubt, Turn Around; Don't Drown.

When left to my own devices, I overthink everything. If you could see the inside of my head, it would look like a washing machine on super spin cycle. Did I do the right things? Did I say the right things? What if I had moved left instead of moving right? What if I had said something else? Was that the right time to laugh? Was that even a joke?

This is the inside of my brain.

I start to think that everything in the world is a result of my actions. If something happens that isn't positive, it's because of something I did do, didn't do, or didn't do enough. 

Being responsible for the entire world is incredibly overwhelming. It's also very lonely. I start to feel like people only like me if I do and say everything exactly right. I feel like I have to trick people into liking me by being perfect, like they are.

And when I spend all of my time, effort, and brain power on making sure I do every single thing exactly right, because if I don't, I will have no friends and the world will go to hell in a handbasket, this is what happens:

But there's another way. Another choice.

I was listening to the radio yesterday when a flood warning from the National Weather Service came on. I wasn't listening to the warning--I was just wondering when it would be over when I heard that slightly off text-to-speech voice say, "When in doubt, don't drown; turn around."

What??

Don't drown; turn around. 

Romans 12:3 says this: Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it's important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No, God brings it all to you. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him. (msg)


This is said in the Bible over and over. We don't have to be afraid of people finding out that we aren't perfect. We don't have to be afraid of not measuring up--not for God, and not for anyone else. We are loved just because we are, not because we're so awesome and we do everything right.


Then in verse 6-ish, it gets EVEN BETTER: "let's just go ahead and be what we were made to be, without enviously or pridefully comparing ourselves with each other, or trying to be something we aren't." (msg)

Let's just all let out a collective breath--Phew! It's okay that I'm not perfect. It's okay that you're not perfect. It's not a mistake that we're flawed-- the flaws are there on purpose. If God isn't comparing you to someone else, why are you doing it? 

And guess what-- that person you're comparing yourself to? They have flaws too. Big ones. On purpose.


And don't be wishing you were someplace else or with someone else. Where you are right now is God's place for you. Live and obey and love and believe right there. --1 Corinthians 7:17 (msg)