Letting God Define Me

When I looked around me again, I saw a man carrying a yardstick in his hand.

"Where are you going?" I asked.

"To measure Jerusalem," he said. "I want to see whether it is big enough for all the people."

Then the angel who was talking to me went over to meet another angel coming toward him.

"Go tell this young man," said the other angel, "that Jerusalem will some day be so full of people that she won't have room enough for all! Many will live outside the city walls, with all their many cattle - and yet they will be safe. For the Lord himself will be a wall of fire protecting them and all Jerusalem; he will be the glory of the city.

Zechariah 2:1-5 (TLB)

Maire Ide Ni hAgain lives in Northern Ireland. Maire first read today's scripture reading when she was in college. At the time, she was trying to figure out what she was doing with her life. All these years later, that question has not entirely gone away. We live in a world of checking boxes; clarity of purpose, achievements, and attainable goals hold a lot of weight. Those things have their purpose. It's good to be intentional about what we do and how we do it. However this verse challenged Maire - and continues to challenge her - and to let go of her desire for security and her need to be in control.

As scary as letting go may be, this challenge comes with a promise that far exceeds its demands. When Maire doesn't build defensive walls to make herself feel safe, when she doesn't try to measure and control what is within her, she is free to give herself to God. God does more with our lives than we can ask, hope, or imagine. We trade in the security of human walls to accept in faith that God will be a wall of fire around us. We trade in the measurements of worldly accomplishments to give God space to be our glory within.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, help us to let go of our desire for control and to rest in the knowledge that you take care of us better than we can take care of ourselves, in Jesus' name. Amen.