One of the greatest counterfeits to living like Jesus is living in Christian autonomy—trying to be like Him without Him. I’d sum up autonomy in this context with one word: self-reliant.
The Burden of Christian Autonomy
The problem, of course, is that, from start to finish, the Bible defines the Christian life as one of dependence. When we fall into autonomy, into relying on ourselves, our lives become burdensome, worrisome, and anxious. We fall for distractions and our faith becomes pretense. We become experts at the routines, the lingo, and the habit of acting Christian while rarely engaging in a real, conversational relationship with God. The one we claim to be following is relaxed, but our lives aren’t. We’re burdened and bothered and ashamed and grieved and angry. We want to grow, but we fear it’s just going to be more ineffective work—work we’ve put in before that felt like a burden. We perform in prayer (if we pray) as we hustle to become better Christians, while experiencing no real power, bearing little to no eternal fruit, unintentionally playing a part in God’s story we were never intended to play: the one in control. It’s a problem.
Rediscovering Peace Through Dependence
Jesus said, “Apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). It’s a qualitative statement meaning you can do a lot of things, but they will amount to nothing. But man, we can spend a lot of time and energy worrying about a lot of things, can’t we?
Walking with God Instead of Striving Alone
I have been an autonomous Christian who doesn’t know how to slow down and just be with Jesus, and I have tasted the slow, powerful, relaxed life with God that I see in so many of the people whose faith I admire. I’ve had good conversations with Him and felt at ease even as the chaos around me remained the same, but then I’ve simply forgotten to prioritize time with Him the very next day. If you’re discouraged by this on-again, off-again life with Jesus, don’t worry. Remember, the goal is not striving. Striving for something is what got us into this mess in the first place. The goal is proximity, nearness (and awareness of our nearness) to Jesus.
It’s all going to be okay.
Really.
It is.
I wish I could look you in the eyes and tell you this.
Stop for a moment. Take a breath. Slow down.
It’s going to be okay.
God has already grown you to where you are today. He already knows where you’ll be in five years. He’s moving in your life right now. This is good news: you, the one who doesn’t have to be in charge, can relax. You don’t have to figure it all out right now if you’re in relationship with the Sovereign One. God’s sovereignty means He’s in control of everything. Even as we make choices, He masterfully weaves them all together to fulfill His purposes. He knows where you’ve been. He knows where He wants to take you. He knows how He will get you there. He wants to walk with you, so you can relax.
Embracing Grace and Endurance in Our Faith
God’s plan is not to fix us or our problems or our emotions quickly. His pace toward our long-lasting, endurance-building growth is more of a walk. Nothing about the verb walk suggests speed, hurriedness, or even productivity. You put one foot in front of the other and you’re taken somewhere else. But when you walk with God, you’re taken in the direction He knows is best. But maybe the direction He’s taking you is different from the direction you were hoping for. More downward than upward. Deeper rather than wider. More about endurance than speed.
That’s where things get challenging. Endurance is hard, and maybe you’ve gotten tired and given up along the way. The good news is that all you have to do to start walking again is take a step. If you trip or fall, you can get up and start walking again. God has unending grace for you, and that’s what His grace is like. It’s simple, and it moves you forward. Like a parent watching a toddler learning to walk, God is not angry or surprised when you miss a step. He doesn’t shame you for your misses. He lovingly encourages you to get up and take another step. No sprints or marathons are needed today, friend. Just take another simple step, knowing God goes before you (He leads you in His sovereign path), is behind you (He knows where you’ve come from), and dwells within you (His prayers for you are effective). Walking with God becomes more natural over time.
He greets us warmly with His nonanxious presence, inviting us to just take another step with Him toward Him and forgo autonomous faith. We can do it, one step—or fall—at a time. But don’t just take my word for it, listen to His:
Trusting God’s Sovereignty Over Our Lives
Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.
—Proverbs 3:5–6
“He will.” Did you catch that? In the end, God will make our paths straight. I think some of us would be more comfortable if the verse ended “and you will figure it all out.” Scripture has a better promise: He will. He was already working before you picked up this book, and He will work whether or not you finish it. While you can’t fix yourself, you do have a role to play. You don’t have to have the answers, you just have to be near to the one who does.
Marshman, Megan Fate, author.
Title: Relaxed : walking with the one who is not worried about a thing / Megan Fate Marshman.
