By Jessica Brodie
Have you ever done something you’re really not good at? Have you done it intentionally, even though you’re not naturally gifted or even simply okay at it, knowing it was somehow good for you? Still enjoyable? Still worth the exercise?
The other night, my kids and I were painting at our kitchen table. I always laugh when I get artistic because I have long claimed that I write because I have no talent as a painter. I use words to paint my pictures.
Still, I like to paint. Although I’m not terribly good at it, it’s fun. I love to play with color and see images come to life beneath my fingers. We started painting during COVID-19 because we needed something to do as a family besides watch TV and go for walks. And while we don’t do it often, especially now that my son is off to college, when he’s home on breaks we usually try to dabble a bit.
My poor kids, though . . . I didn’t mean to, but as a recovering perfectionist, I’ve somehow raised two perfectionists—particularly my oldest, who plays first-chair viola in his college orchestra, majors in finance, and has always been tremendously hard on himself. He kept berating himself as we painted for not being able to get his lines straight or be as precise as he wanted
“Stop beating yourself up!” we all told him. “It looks really good.” And it did!
He just laughed. “I’m a perfectionist. I can’t help myself! It’s killing me not to do this right.”
I looked at him over our canvases. “But remember—whenever you do things out of your comfort zone, you’re stretching your brain. You’re using different muscles. You’re making yourself better in some way. I always say that every time I pick up a paintbrush I become a better writer.”
My own words have stayed with me since then. It’s true, isn’t it? And it’s not just because we’re stretching different sides of our brain. Whenever we do something out of our comfort zone, it’s scary, but it always makes us better.
I see a huge spiritual lesson in this. Think about all the times you’ve had to relinquish control and depend on God. Remember how it ultimately made you better, deeper, stronger in the Lord. Really ponder this—for me, it’s been every single time.
Consider in Scripture how Peter jumped out of the boat and walked on water toward Jesus (Matthew 14:22-33). He certainly didn’t do this in his own strength, but because of faith—he was entirely dependent on his trust in Jesus, and that faith gave him the ability to do supernatural things.
Later, his faith enabled him to heal in the Lord‘s name and to do other miracles.
Jesus taught in John 15:1-17 how he is the vine and we are the branches. Apart from him, we can do nothing, yet in him, because of our connection to him, we thrive and grow in ways unimaginable.
It’s not that we ourselves are better. But in surrendering and letting him take over, we’re surrendering to the full power of the Holy Spirit within us. That’s when the true work happens. That’s when we become what we can never become on our own.
I have no illusions I’ll ever be a painting prodigy. But I do know that practicing the art of surrender is good for my brain and good for my soul.
The most beautiful things I’ve ever written have come from a source deep inside of me that is connected to the One—God Almighty, the Alpha and the Omega. I have no illusions it comes from me or any talent I possess. It is a combination of my hard work and my willingness to surrender to the Creator who somehow miraculously lives within me.
So this year, instead of worrying about becoming the best version of you possible, maybe consider how you can surrender to the One who handcrafted the very universe around us all. That is the true measure of greatness.
And the true evidence of his love.
“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time” (1 Peter 5:6 NIV).
A Prayer: Lord, my ego sometimes tells me the good things I do come from me—my talent, my work, my giftedness. But apart from you, I am nothing. On my own, I am lost. Help me remember that I become worthy only in my connection to you, and help me learn to surrender daily. Amen.
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