Living in the Tension of Both/And

Sometimes we struggle and sometimes we thrive, but I want you to know we can actually do both at the same time. Sometimes we celebrate and sometimes we grieve, but we can do these at the same time too. Give and take…laugh and cry…sad and happy...relax and work…tired and excited...be still and grow…expectant and disappointed - all can be done simultaneously. Friend, you don’t have to fake anything. You don’t have to only wear half of your situation. You have permission to feel multiple things at the same time. Somewhere along the way, we've been told we have to always appear put together and invincible; that having need or being poor in spirit is shameful; that we can’t celebrate as we grieve or we can’t thrive while there is a struggle within us. Who said it had to be one or the other? Not only does the world throw that at us, but unfortunately, sometimes we hear it from other believers as well.

So, we stuff down the things that make us look “less than” and we hide the places that aren’t “shiny" so we can appear acceptable to the standards set by man. In the sermon on the mount, Jesus taught the opposite of what the world said. For example, at first glance do you think of the poor in spirit, mourning, meek, hungry, persecuted, or slandered as the blessed ones?  When you find yourself fitting into one of these categories, do you feel blessed? When you are broken do you feel confident? When you are weak, do you feel strong in the Lord? What if we didn’t live a “one or the other” life any longer?

What if we acknowledged failure and victory at the same time or walked in a valley while living on the mountaintop? What if, as we are attacked, we recognize we are already a conqueror or saw trials as our path to holiness? How would our outlook change? How much more hope would we carry? How much freedom could we walk in? The apostle Paul was bound in jail yet free. Jesus was crucified yet full of the Father’s power. David destroyed and was destroyed, yet was determined to pursue the heart of God. In Mark 9, the father of a possessed boy exclaimed to Jesus “I believe, help my unbelief”. Those words, uttered by a desperate father, exemplify my point. He wasn’t one or the other. He looked at Jesus and admitted he was both. Jesus didn’t correct him or withhold a miracle because he was honest about his personal situation. Jesus healed his son.

I want to encourage you to be honest with Jesus about your condition (all of it). Once you’ve gone to Him, share it with a friend. Practice being “both, and” instead of being “either, or” and see what changes. I have a feeling you will be lighter. I would love for you to follow up with me so we can celebrate together! Let's talk about it soon!