Life isn’t what you expected it to be. You aren’t where you want to be. You didn’t meet the goals you set. You fell short of expectations you set for yourself. Life isn’t perfect, in fact, it’s a bit crooked. 

We can spend our entire lives leaning a little to right and then overcorrecting to the left in an attempt to find the perfect balance. We want everything to look just right so people will see it or we can finally feel better. But how much time will we waste trying to impress people who won’t care? How many opportunities will we miss to reach someone because we think we have to have it all together before we can help?

Maybe you didn’t have a good childhood and you’re trying to make up for it now. Maybe your family members or friends walked away from their faith and you feel like you can’t reach them because your life doesn’t look much different from theirs. Maybe you’re struggling in your own faith, questioning how God would allow your life to be so messy yet claim to love you anyway even though everyone else has walked out. 

Life is going to be crooked, but that’s okay. The sooner we can recognize that and take a step back, the sooner we can see that God wanted the pictures to be crooked so we could see life through His artistic eye. 

My challenge for you today is to take a step back. Stop working so hard to fix something that was meant to be broken. Stop trying to make sense of something that will never make sense. Stop over-performing in an attempt to compensate for your shortfalls or someone else’s. Breathe in a breath of peace knowing that God knows what He’s doing. 

“But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them -yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.” -1 Corinthians 15:10

“I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” -Philippians 4:10-13