Struggling Believer

Resting Without Resigning

I wonder if you can relate to the frustration that this question causes. Early in my personal healing journey, I was asked this question. It was such a foreign concept that I got angry. “Be! Be? What are you talking about?” They may have just as well asked me to breathe underwater. I was so tired of my depression, pain, anxiety, and anger. I felt so lost and confused by this question.   

I wanted change, the pain to stop, to know how to love and be loved. To BE felt like a death sentence. I was striving so hard to change. I mean I’m responsible for this mess, I am broken, and will be for the rest of my life if something doesnt change. Are you seriously asking me to give up? Yet, that is exactly what God wants. He wants us to BE how he designed us. He already sees who we are and can make us whole.

After 30+ years, guess what? He is still telling me that I am enough. Please don’t mistake this idea as an excuse for our sinful behavior. On the contrary, he calls us to become fully alive, constantly working to be transformed from our sinfulness into life. More importantly, he wants us to be close to him. We are no longer strangers; he calls us friends.

Why do we struggle with this? We seem to believe that stillness is synonymous with passivity. But what if stillness isn’t about stopping? What if it’s about standing confidently in who you are, no longer striving to become something more, but embracing the fullness of who you already are, while becoming more like Jesus?

A Struggling, striving, growing believer in Jesus. This is where our relationship with him grows.

Faith: The Foundation of Being

At the core of just BEing is a call to faith—faith that who God created you to be is already enough, faith that He is guiding you even when you don’t have all the answers, and faith that resting in Him is not passivity but trust. Hebrews 11:1 defines faith as “confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” Faith calls us to release control and embrace both stillness and movement in divine rhythm.

The Bible consistently reminds us that our identity is secure, not because of what we achieve, but because of God’s grace:

• Ephesians 2:10 – “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works.”
• Psalm 139:14 – “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.”
• Jeremiah 1:5 – “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart.”

Rest That Isn’t Passive

There’s a tension in learning to rest—not because resting itself is difficult, but because we resist it. The fear of stillness isn’t just about the pressure of culture; it’s deeper than that. It’s about what surfaces when we stop moving—the weight of old regrets, unprocessed emotions, and destructive coping patterns. If we stop long enough, will they swallow us?

The answer isn’t avoidance—it’s redefining stillness. Resting doesn’t mean being consumed by what hurts; it means standing firm, anchored in the truth of who you are and who Jesus says you are. Stillness isn’t a void—it’s a space where healing begins.

• Psalm 46:10 – “Be still, and know that I am God.”
• Philippians 4:6-7 – “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
• Isaiah 30:15 – “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength.”

Being Who God Created You to Be

For many, just BE feels like permission to let go of striving. But does that mean we stop growing altogether? Not at all. Growth isn’t forced; it unfolds when we embrace where we are now. A bird doesn’t strive to be more “bird-like.” It simply flies, sings, and builds its nest—all in effortless alignment with its design. A tree doesn’t force itself to grow taller; it is rooted in its nature while expanding naturally.

We, too, are designed to exist with this same ease—not proving, not forcing, but becoming in an organic rhythm of life. “Just BE” isn’t passive—it’s active embodiment. It’s stepping forward while being fully present.

• Proverbs 3:5-6 – “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.”

Shifting the Mindsets That Hold Us Back

To live in this space of trust and authenticity, we must address the mindsets that challenge it:

• Fear of Facing Yourself – Stillness isn’t about sitting in emptiness; it’s about standing in the fullness of who you are. Psalm 34:18 reminds us, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
• The Pressure to Be “Better” – You don’t have to earn your worth; you already have it. Ephesians 2:10 reinforces that you are God’s workmanship, created with purpose.
• The Need for Certainty – Life isn’t about having every answer. Learning to walk forward in faith, even without clarity, is what frees us. 2 Corinthians 5:7 says, “For we walk by faith, not by sight.”
• The Fear of Letting Go – Control feels safe, but surrendering doesn’t mean losing control—it means choosing trust in the Lord. Isaiah 40:31 reminds us that those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.

Walking Forward in Confidence

The beauty of just BE is that it calls us to a life where we are both resting and moving—where we are at peace with who we are today while stepping forward into tomorrow without fear. We don’t have to prove anything. We don’t have to chase validation or have to force growth. We can simply get to exist, follow our hopes and dreams, and walk forward in fullness, knowing that we were made for this moment.

Gloria Dei est vivens homo. (latin)
“The glory of God is man fully alive.”  

Saint Irenaeus of Lyons

Irenaeus elaborates that “the life of man is the vision of true life comes from knowing and experiencing God. His words responded to Gnostic beliefs that rejected the material world, emphasizing that human life when lived in communion with God, reflects His glory.

Does this resonate with you in any particular way?

And faith is at the heart of it all—faith that God is holding the future, that His purpose is unfolding even in the waiting, and that who you are today is already enough in His eyes.

What would happen if you allowed yourself to be today? To pause and embrace exactly who you are, without pressure, without striving? Maybe—just maybe—you’d find that you were already enough all along.

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Let us Pray:

God, help me to BE and realize that you love me. Those who call upon your forgiveness, you call me friend. Please show me how to fully express the wonderful life you have created for me. The abundant life you promised, with its pain, sorrows, struggles, joy, peace, and happiness. Mold me and shape me.

Amen