The Burden Is Light: Liberating Your Life from the Tyranny of Performance and Success

I want to wear my faith on my sleeve and not look at the darkness in my heart. And above all, I want a controllable god. I want a divine commodity to do my will on earth as well as in heaven.

We have a fear of being left out, a fear of failure, a fear of rejection, a fear that our children will forget about us when they leave home, a fear that loved ones will leave us, that our spouses will lose interest, that our beauty will fade, that our jobs will be automated, that our food will cause cancer, that our president will spark an interna

For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry.

We are all called by God to share in His life and in His Kingdom. Each one of us is called to a special place in the Kingdom. If we find that place we will be happy. If we do not find it, we can never be completely happy.

A lifetime of emotions rose in my heart, and I began to weep. It would be a medal not for winning but for running my own race. A medal not for finishing first but for finishing the race I was called to run.

How is it then that we’ve come to imagine that Christianity consists primarily in what we do for God? How has this come to be the good news of Jesus? Brennan Manning, The Furious Longing of God

But a fast from comparison and a feast on biblical identity could move your life into a place of freedom and delight. You would be more present to those you love and begin to notice things happening around you.

You would be able to celebrate the success of others and delight in their favor rather than feeling like you were being overlooked or diminished in some way. Your envy would melt into love as you realize you are on the same team and seeking the same goal, and you wouldn’t perceive others as a threat.

He loves us and is committed to our flourishing and joy. Only when we truly believe that we are in the middle of his plan can we stop manipulating other people in an attempt to fulfill ours.