Living Our Best Lives
My routines are usually without spot or wrinkle. But this morning, it starts with a dropped box of Cheerios scattered all over the floor. I go to my car and a tire is at only 25 inflation pressure. I’m on the phone with a friend and my big Yeti mug turns over and is going into the console. Oh, but I’m living my best life!
Living my best life is my goal each day even when the annoyances come. I’m coming clean on my real life behind the scenes. That’s the way I want my audiences and readers and listeners to know about the real me! I’m living my best life, but it is often a work-out.
All it takes is to thumb through pictures of friends documenting their remodeled kitchens, their fun weekend excursions, and date nights out in wedded bliss for us to feel inadequate in our status quo lives. Some folks log in how many miles they ran that morning or made celebration worthy announcements.
The longer we scroll, the more we compare our lives to their blissfully flawless life when ours is picking up Cheerios off the floor and disappointments and burdens are weighing heavy on our hearts. Often our feeds remind us of what’s wrong and what’s missing in our lives. Why ME? Why NOT me?
I know it is the mission of the enemy of our souls to keep us depressed, feeling inadequate, and wishing for more. I’m writing this blog today because, it’s like I told the women in our Bible study group – “It’s time to FLIP THE SCRIPT!”
Flipping the script means – instead of needing encouragement, to give encouragement. Instead of envying others for what they have, flip the script and express appreciation for what we DO have!
I was taking my car in anyway for its 15,000 mile maintenance, so the tire issue was just an add-on. I get a courtesty car to go to my dental appointment. I’m back to pick up my car, three hours later, and service hadn’t even begun. My service person is exasperated and apologizes because they are so behind.
It would have been easy to have complained, but I remembered this blog that I am writing as I speak. I tell her my “Cheerios” story and encourage her. I tell her I can come back for the maintenance part but I need the tire fixed as I am leaving on a trip. She is delighted and within a few minutes, I am on my way with my NEW tire — no charge!
It is easy to think we’re too tired or too stressed to give any kind of encouragement to someone else when we need it so desperately ourselves. But God’s supply is inexhaustible. We can never pour out so much that we are left completely empty.
God created us for community. He knows our tendency is to get caught up in our need. But that hyper-focus on ourselves, even in real need, only makes our hearts heavier. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 says: “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up…”
Our best life isn’t found scrolling on a feed. Our best life is letting Jesus pour into us so we can pour out to others.
Proverbs 11:25 says, “A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.” God created us so that as we encourage others, we ourselves are encouraged.
Today I ask for God to forgive me when I get self-absorbed with my issues, and I overlook the needs around me. When Cheerios cover the floor from our little ones or our big selves, may we seek our Lord and His Word first so that out of His abundance, we can encourage someone else. Please renew our hearts, Lord, so that we no longer see what’s missing, but only see all that You have given.