Settle

Settle

Is anyone thirsty? Come and drink—even if you have no money! Come, take your choice of wine or milk—it’s all free!

IT WAS ABOUT FIVE WEEKS after I’d had my last baby that I finally decided it was time to clear the maternity clothes out of my closet. As I started to unpack my regular clothes once again, I began to see my things in a new light, noticing things I had overlooked before. Items that had small holes or were worn out, jeans with frayed bottoms, shirts from five years ago with the tags still on that just never quite fit.

In my moment of feeling empowered, I decided to get rid of everything in my closet that was mediocre, worn out, or never really fit well. And as I worked, I thought, Why did I settle for these things?

I began to realize that my closet mirrored the rest of my life. I recalled a number of times that I settled for something less than I could have.

The boyfriend after college who was a “great Christian guy,” but would make offhand comments about how large my hips and thighs were, leading me to question my weight—I settled.

Being my own worst enemy by not trying new things because I was too afraid and simply wanted to play it safe—I settled.

And my closet was just another indication of a way that I had settled. Maybe when I lose these last five pounds, these pants will fit just right. So I settled.

As I continued to pack things up, I realized that God has so much more for me than the lies I’d settled for in the past.

Isn’t this process something we all need to do? Whether it’s our physical closet or just in the recesses of our minds and hearts, we can all look back on a time where we settled for less than God would give us. When the truth is, God would invite us to speak up for what we want. Go for goals that are wildly scary. And walk each day with confidence that he will give us what we need.

Lord, show us places in our lives where we’ve settled, and give us courage to move ahead with confidence that comes from you. Amen.

-Kendra

One Good Step: Pray and then take action from a place in your life where you feel like you settled.