the one and true god

By Donna Churchill

I am a collector of quotes. I have been collecting meaningful-to-me quotes for many, many years. This year, thinking these quotes were just too good to keep to myself, I began sharing them with friends via a weekly text. This is the quote I shared a few weeks ago:

“Humility teaches us to find rest in confession. Rest from the need to hide, the need to be perfect. We rest by saying, both to God and others, ‘I am not enough. I need help.’”
Hannah Anderson

I grew up knowing I was not enough. Lest I forgot, my mother reminded me often. As a result, I made it my life’s work to be more than enough. I worked hard to pretend I was enough. I’m sure I didn’t fool anyone, but I worked extra hard to fool myself. I could never confess I was a fraud. On those occasions when the façade cracked, when I had to admit to myself that I wasn’t enough, I still found it hard to admit I needed help. I set myself up as the “god” of the kingdom of my own making.

Thankfully, that began to change when I met the real and true GOD! As a loving and merciful God, He began the work of sanctification in me.

I, as the “god of my kingdom,” am very unforgiving and a merciless taskmaster when I fail.
God, the real and true God, is not only forgiving and merciful, but picks me up with great love when I fail.

I, as the “god of my kingdom,” on my quest to be perfect, needed to prove to myself that I was enough and that I didn’t need help.
God, the real and true God, tells me that I don’t need to be perfect, only faithful. He tells me that yes, I am not enough, but I don’t need to be because Jesus is. 

I, as the “god of my kingdom,” consistently fall short of living up to my expectations.
God, the real and true God, releases me from the pressure of living up to my own unrealistic or harsh expectations. His only expectation of me is to be faithful.

“Humility teaches us to find rest in confession.” I find rest in confessing my sin, humbling myself before God and laying bare before others that I need help. I find rest from trying to be perfect, rest from trying to hide my sin and imperfections, rest from pretending to be “god of my kingdom” in complete control, for there is only one real and true God and one Kingdom. Rest follows repentance and as I repent of trying to be “god” and give up the control of my life to the only One who has genuine control, I find true rest.

Psalm 25:9 says, “He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way.” How can I be led and taught if I don’t acknowledge my need for help?

“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” (James 4:6) I do not want to be opposed by God; I cannot win that war and I don’t even want to try! He knows best!

“Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.”  1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

How thankful I am that I am no longer the “god of my kingdom” and that I no longer have to pretend to be! 

How thankful I am that the work of sanctification is His and He promises he will do it!!