Human Beings, Not Human Doings

Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30 NASB)

Do you ever think to yourself, I wish people knew me for who I am instead of for what I do? There is an often-used quote that says, “We are human beings, NOT human doings.” Oh, that we would believe that powerful, rich statement! If we were completely honest with ourselves, we might even use the term human strivers to describe what’s really going on in a world where we often hear, “That’s great; now let’s see if you can do it better next time.” And if we were really honest with ourselves, we might acknowledge that we are striving even in our relationships, which leaves us wondering, “Will I ever be able to work hard enough to get it right? Or is it me? Am I good enough?”

Humans are getting tired, worn out, and overwhelmed trying, the vast majority of the time, to meet unrealistic expectations – not only at a professional level but also in their personal relationships. And for what? For the most part, the approval of man. God has a rebuttal to the world’s way of thinking, and it turns human striving on its ear. God always sees the true us first. He sees who we are as human beings. If we are only interested in what others think, we’ll be on a hamster wheel for the rest of our lives. If we first, however, realize our identity rests in Christ, then we’ll know we are not primarily human strivers and human doings, but human beings. Created in the image of God. Knowing this truth frees us from the burden of doing to find rest in our relationships.

Tangible Takeaway:

Take the Scripture from today and read it out loud. Make it personal by inserting your name to make it real in your life. “Come to Me, (place your name), and I will give you rest.” It’s such a comfort knowing God’s Word is personal.

This is an excerpt from We’re Still in This by Susan Goss – a new practical relationship devotional book released by DaySpring publishing.  Learn more about this book, or shop other books from DaySpring.