“You sure can’t wait to find God and life and restoration until you’ve sorted your life out. There’s too much rushing at us; we haven’t the time to carefully and systematically think through every piece of information, misspoken word, confusing interaction, heartbreaking news. Subtly, maybe not so subtly, the burdens on the soul pile up.”- John Eldredge
John Eldredge concludes Chapter 2 of Get Your Life Back as he observes that worry is one of many things that burdens our souls. However, another burden revolves around genuine concern. In fact, John cautions, it’s just as dangerous as worry- because genuine concern is grounded in something noble. For example, you may feel burdened because you can’t provide help to everyone who comes to your ministry. Thus, this inability weighs you down.
Therefore, the author counsels, you need to practice benevolent detachment. Give everything and everyone to Jesus. And Jesus lovingly repeats His invitation until you stop carrying people and worrying about things.
Furthermore, John cautions, people and causes find a way to entangle themselves with you too. Also, many people operate under the unspoken assumption that they can enter your world at any time. As a result, that suffocates your soul and leaves no breathing room. Benevolent detachment offers the way out. But, the author addresses possible objections:
“I know, I know — you’ve got all sorts of pushback going on inside even as you read this. ‘This sounds impossible; you don’t know my world.’ ‘But what about loving?’ ‘What about caring?’ ‘How is it right to just let things go?’ Quite simply, because you’re not God. You can’t save the world. You can’t even carry it.”
Finally, benevolent detachment also serves as a gift to the people in your life. For quite often we subconsciously saddle those people with our expectations, hopes, and needs. So applying this does them a tremendous favor. Because they’d like to disentangle themselves from us as well.
Today’s question: What Bible verses help you find God and life and restoration? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “A renewable supply of beauty”
