This week’s chapters in Tired of Being Tired confront a deeply rooted belief many of us carry—whether we realize it or not: God wants my performance.
I wouldn’t have said it out loud, but I lived like it. I thought that if I worked hard enough, said the right things, showed up for the right people, and never dropped a ball—God would be pleased with me. I wouldn’t have called it striving. I would’ve called it obedience, or even service. But really, it was performance.
And at some point, performance becomes exhausting.
I’m still in a season where I’m doing a lot of things—ministry, motherhood, friendships, church life. The calendar stays full, and the needs around me don’t slow down. But what’s shifted is my heart. I’ve learned that even in the middle of a full life, I can live from a place of connection instead of constant striving. I can work hard without hustling for approval. And that shift—choosing intimacy with God over performance for Him—has made all the difference.
When Jess writes about how we often try to prove ourselves to God instead of receiving from Him, I feel it deeply. She’s not asking us to work less—she’s inviting us to trust more. She’s inviting us to live out of connection with the Lord instead of constant activity for Him.
“Remain in Me, as I also remain in you… apart from Me you can do nothing.” – John 15:4–5
The more connected I am to Jesus, the less I feel the pressure to prove anything. And the more I rest in Him, the more fruitful—not frantic—my life becomes.
Reflect:
Where have you been performing for God instead of connecting with Him?
What would it look like to prioritize intimacy over activity this week?
Are you living as a servant or as a daughter?
Let’s breathe deep this week. Let’s slow down long enough to remember that God never called us to burnout. He called us to abide.
You were made for more than performance.
You were made for a life connected to the heart of God.