When Push Comes to Shove

“A vow is simply a promise we make, often to ourselves, but also to God and others….

On first glance, vow-making seems the ideal solution to growth, right? It feels like a fruit of the Spirit on steroids, this bent toward self-control….

But a vow that is made to calm our fears, to bolster our confidence, to justify our anger, or to take upon ourselves work that is really God’s area of responsibility is a vow that will cause frustration and lead to defeat.”

Mary DeMuth, Everything (pg. 24)

My vow has been to make things happen.

My motto has been:

I’ve been an expert at 

• prying open shut doors…and wondering why I felt alone after walking through them.

• making my demands known…and wondering why my needs still went un-met.

• doing more, faster, better than everyone else…and wondering why exhaustion wore away at me so relentlessly.

Being a person who makes things happen is not working for me any more.

In fact, it never really has.

And as I wonder what happened?

I realize that my vow just kept me really busy. And busy means productive.Which means I’ve produced. I’ve produced much fruit.

God asked me to go to seed.

So although it feels like it just might be the death of me, I’m learning to watch things happen.

To see where God is at work around me and join Him as he makes things happen. (Click to Tweet this.)

I’m breaking my make things happen vow.

And practicing a whole new habit:

When push comes to shove?

Let go.

“The man who loves his life will lose it, 

while the man who hates his life in this world 

will keep it for eternal life.”

John 12:25

Your Turn:

• What vows have you made that meddle in God’s area of responsibility?

• What unhealthy vows have you broken? How?

• Anything else on your heart!