Know Your Why
I’m going to take a shot in the dark here and say that most, if not all, of us have experienced feeling beat down by life. Like every time you get up, you just get kicked right back down again. You feel the weight and the pressures of life, and you don’t know how to keep going. Maybe you’re feeling pressure to look and act a certain way because of the people you’re surrounded by. Or maybe you’ve had so many pressures and expectations thrown at you for so long that you’re no longer sure of who you are or what you believe. No matter what you’re going through, you have a choice when responding to pressure. You can choose to fold under pressure, or you can be propelled by pressure. I want us to be the kind of people that are propelled by the pressures in our lives. The kind of people that are not caving and feeling defeated, but that are rising up and being strengthened by it.
I want to share something with you guys that has helped me so much when it comes to standing firm in my faith under pressure. And that’s to know your “why.” I always say that you must know your why in order to know your way. If you’re going to stand firm in your faith under pressure, you have to know why you’re doing what you’re doing. You have to know who you are and what you believe. Really get to know yourself! Know your values, your mission, and why you were put on this earth. Your values will determine your direction and your direction will determine your destiny. You see, when pressure comes, if you don’t know why you’re standing firm, you’re going to fold every time. If you lose your why, you’ll lose your way, because your why leads you to your way. I want you to ask yourself the following questions and really think through your answers. “Who do I want to be?” “What do I believe?” “Who does God say that I am?”
We wonder why our faith can be unsteady. We wonder why sometimes we make decisions that we’re proud of, but then sometimes we make decisions that we later regret and resent. Well, here’s your answer: It’s because in those moments, we’re led by our feelings, temptations, and pressures, and we’re not letting our why lead us. We must be led by our convictions and our faith.
I remember one time when I was walking through a difficult season, and I called my best friend. I was crying to her, explaining how I was feeling so much pressure and carrying so much weight from what I was going through. Honestly, I was fully expecting her to empathize with me, to tell me I was right for complaining and that what I was going through really was super hard. Instead, she cuts me off and says “Madi, who are you?” I remember being a little confused and caught off guard. She asked me again and I replied, “Well, I’m Madison.” She said, “And what does Madison mean?” So, I looked it up only to find that it means brave warrior. Then, she asked me what I was going to do next, and I said, “I’m going to keep fighting. I’m going to fight for my purpose. I’m going to fight for my purity, my joy, my healing, my identity.” Because that’s who I am. That’s who God has called me to be. When I was feeling down and defeated, I had to go back and remember who I really am. I had to be reminded of who I am in Christ and who God has called me to be.
Acts 20:24 says, “However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me - the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.” THAT is our why. That is why we stand firm in our convictions under pressure. That should be the driving force behind all that we do.
So, I encourage and challenge you to dig deep, find your why, truly believe in it, and fight hard for it. When life gets tough, go back to that why, and keep going. Rise above your circumstances and live the life that God has called you to!
Challenges:
Spend time in the Word. It’s so important to be familiar with scripture because it is full of truth of who God is and who he has created us to be. When we spend time memorizing scripture and truly understanding it, it becomes easier for our lives to reflect it.
Spend time in prayer. When you’re going through one of those tough seasons, spend a lot of time in communication with God. You will find comfort and peace there.
Write out reminders. I love writing encouragements and scripture on sticky notes around my house to serve as reminders for why I do what I do. When I forget or I get caught up in the day-to-day, those reminders bring me back to truth.
Prayer:
Lord, thank you for the relationship we get to have with you. Thank you for your Word and that we can learn from it and live by it. May our convictions be strong, and our faith continue to grow each day. I pray that we would live our lives fiercely and boldly for the gospel and that we would be marked by you in all that we do. May we worship you in the valleys and on top of the mountains. We love you and give you all the praise. In Jesus’ name! Amen!