{all images are gifts for you to use and share however you’d like}
Dear You,
You don’t have to try so hard. I know sometimes you think you do. There’s a place inside that worries that if you let up for even just a little while, it may all fall apart—you may fall apart. But here’s the secret: you don’t have to hold yourself, your life, this world together. That’s far too much for any of us.
Instead of holding it all together, can you let yourself be held by the One who loves you? He’s the One who told the weary to come to him. He’s the One who tells us it’s okay to lay our burdens down. He’s the One who invites us to a life not of perfectionism but of peace.
He doesn’t require as much of you as you believe. It feels like he does because so many people have told you it’s true. But our God is not a taskmaster. Instead he’s a loving Father, and he wants his children to rest. Children are not meant to worry and work all the time. They’re meant to receive.
What do you need from God right now? Slow down for a moment and tell him. Whisper the tiredness you feel. Tell him about your frustration. Put words to your suspicion that it’s all too much and you’re not enough.
Then listen for God’s voice in return. Let him reassure you that he’s got you and he’s never letting go. Let him share with you that you are not responsible for results, only obedience. Let him free you from what weighs you down and instead lift you up with love.
You don’t have to try so hard, get so far, run so fast. You only have to reach up to the One who promises to carry you like a daughter in his arms. All the way home.
XOXO
(inspired by Deut. 1:31; Matt. 11:29–30; 1 John 3:1)and adapted from If We Could Have Coffee…{ebook})
{to-go coffee for your heart}
Welcome to the Coffee for Your Heart weekly link-up!
You’re an encourager so I’m asking you to pour out a little love with your words every Wednesday {link-up goes live at 5:30am CST}. Simply write an encouraging blog post and then share it here with us.
If you’d like a writing prompt to get you going, here’s a list I created just for you: 30 Writing Prompts.
Pretty please use this new button in your post so others can easily join in with us {html code in right sidebar}…
And when you link up your post, take a moment to leave an encouraging comment on the one that’s linked up just before yours. Thanks, friends!
I’m having Coffee For Your Heart with my friend Holley Gerth
{click to tweet}
Holley, love these wonderful words of encouragement today…what a Friend we have in Jesus!
Yes, and I’m thankful He gives us friends like you too!
Love the imagery this post brings to mind. Sometimes we hold on with our hands clenched so tight. He just wants us, palms open, to let Him hold onto us. Just beautiful! Besides, I am remembering He holds us so much tighter than we could ever hold on!
I love how you said that, Joanne, that He holds us might tighter than we could ever hold on. Amen!
…a life not of perfectionism, but of peace… WOW! It makes me want to take a deep breath, drawing in the Holy Spirit and exhale all of my frustration, disappointment and stress. PEACE! Mmmm… These are healing words for an over-acheiver; someone constantly striving to be “enough.” So tired… I think we all want love and approval and it’s really hard to believe that there isn’t a price to pay for it. Nothing fills the “God spot” but God. Without Him, we never know real peace. I’m only starting to find it. Thank you SO much, Holly, for letting me know I’m going in the right direction and that it’s OK to “let go and let God.” It’s OK to have peace and actually REST. WOW. Thanks. I needed that. 🙂
As a fellow over-achiever, I can so relate to all you shared, Jena. Let’s keep embracing grace together.
You are the Queen of Encouragement. I just popped by to say hello and “I love you,” but I’m leaving with a link to this post … sharing it with a friend whom I love dearly, a friend who is working so hard, and needing permission to rest. This is just right. xo
I love you too, friend. Thank you so much for stopping by. Big hug to you…
Love HARD. Love ourselves because He loves us. Letting Him love me all out was so very difficult for me in the first half of my life. Because I hated who I was. Then He healed me of the depression that was killing me. I began to see HOW He loved me. HARD. he was relentless to love me. That was a very beautiful thing for my heart to learn.
Beautiful encouragement, Holley. Beautiful words of Truth.
I’m so glad God’s love for us is so relentless. Praying you continue to know and grow in how much He loves us!
Thank you for hosting this beautiful hop! I love Coffee for your Heart…linking for the first time.
Looking fwd to clicking to a few posts. They look amazing.
God bless
Thanks so much for linking up for the first time, Chris! I’m thrilled that you’re here. 🙂
Amen! I needed this today:).
I needed it too, girl. Glad I’m not the only one!
Thank you for your encouragement today. Nothing can take the place of are God. With out Him I can not live. Without Him we never will have love, joy and peace.
Yes and yes and yes. So true, Tara.
Grateful – again and always – for your words, Holley.
This is exactly how I want to walk through today – ‘Slow down for a moment and tell him {what I need}. Whisper the tiredness {I} feel. Tell him about {my} frustration. Put words to {my} suspicion that it’s all too much and {I’m so} not enough.
Then {I want to} listen for God’s voice in return. Let him reassure {me} that he’s got {me} and he’s never letting go. Let him share with {me} that {I} are not responsible for results, only obedience. Let him free [Me} from what weighs {me} down and instead lift {me} up with love.
Thank you!
So glad my words could hug your heart today, Laura! XO
Beautiful words of encouragement what a wonderful way to start the day.PRAISE GOD! Thank you some much Holley luv you girlfriend have a bless day.
Thank you, San! I hope your day is full of joy!
Holley: this is truth, “Children are not meant to worry and work all the time. They’re meant to receive.” What grace, God gives us….our work is to receive, trust and obey 🙂 Thank you.
Yes, working on learning to receive right along with you, Dolly. We’ll keep at it together, friend.
I’m having such a difficult morning today. Trying so hard not to crumble. Did laundry, walked the dog, changed beds, anything to keep moving, keep busy, not give in. Then this. Telling me to go ahead and let it go. Hand it over to God and rest and be loved and believe. Thank you Holley.
Shelly, so proud of you for persevering when you felt like giving up. Praying for you now and cheering you on as you keep moving forward. I have days like that too.
You don’t know how much I needed this today, sweet friend.
I’m so glad that it encouraged you, Sandra. Sending a hug your way…
I think I may just print this one out and keep it handy on the nightstand. Bless you for these sweet words of wisdom.
I would be honored to have my words hang out at your house, Lyli. 🙂
“Children are not meant to worry and work all the time. They’re meant to receive.” Yes, this. The whole thing Holley- it’s like you’ve been “spying” on my heart. Thank you for echoing what He’s been telling me. It felt like we just had a heart to heart over coffee, imagine that?!:) Thank you friend.
Thankful we got to have coffee together today, Katie. Hopefully we can in person one day too! Wouldn’t that be fun?
So Much Amen, my friend! “He doesn’t require as much of you as you believe. It feels like he does because so many people have told you it’s true. But our God is not a taskmaster.” So Much Amen!
XO right back!
~Karrilee~
I like all those amens, my friend! Woo-hoo!
What a great message. It reminds us (especially women) that our loving Lord has given us permission to release all our deadlines, projects, marriages, children, heartaches, and burdens to Him. Not only permission. He actually ENCOURAGES us to bring all that concerns us to Him and He will PERFECT it (ps.138:8). I am facing some really stressful and challenging issues in my life and today’s post just whispered “loudly” into these issues deep in my heart. I don’t have to bring the change or the increase or anything else. Just my surrendered heart in both my hands and offer up the sacrifice of obedience to Him. Then, the falling back in His arms to rest and watch Him work is up to me and you my sisters.
Thank you Lord for nuggets of wisdom through Holley.
Thank you for this comment. Your words spoke to my heart and Psalm 138:8 is one of my favorite verses. Breathing in new grace with you today…
Thanks Holley! I don’t have a Linky-up thing so I will just comment. =)
I needed this reminder today! Yesterday I started therapy again for the first time in 20 years. I had thought I was done with that. I now live in chronic pain and holding it all together is getting impossible… but I think that is God’s plan. I need to rely even more on Him than I did before. After all my faith is stronger than it was then.
She said something I wanted to share. “What do you think it means that you are back after 20 years?” My answer was that I failed. Her answer? “But you have held it together for 20 years!”
That is something to celebrate.
Thanks Holley for being a constant voice of encouragement to us all.
Best, Lina
I just went back to counseling too, Lina! I love therapy–it’s like a spa day for your soul. So proud of you for persevering for so many years and for taking good care of you. We need you and you are worth it!
You are the best, Holley! Thanks!
I really needed this reminder today. Thank you so much for this. We were never meant to carry all of those burdens around with us. Leaving them at His feet today.
It’s easier to hold your coffee or tea when we let go of our burdens {that’s what I’m slowly learning!}. Putting my arm around your shoulder as we stand together at the feet of Jesus…
Thank you for this loving encouragement, Holley. Again you touch a deep need in my heart. God is NOT a taskmaster. Neither does He want me to be one to myself. Love to be reminded of His loving, inviting-to-rest heart.
Oh, yes, not being a taskmaster to ourselves is the hardest part, isn’t it? Whew. So glad we can learn to live in grace together and offer it to each other when we forget {which I often do}.
I often forget too. I live from list to list to list of things to do. 🙁 I’m very productive, but wear myself down. I’m not as young as I once was, and knowing that God is not a “task master” is a huge revelation. It was just me all this time, trying and trying to earn something. Approval? Value? Worth? I’m not sure, but I think it’s all of the above. Making Jesus the LORD of your life means that He’s the only one you answer to. Wow. I don’t even answer to myself any more. I’m not my own God. WOW. All that matters now is His will for my life. Hmmm…changes EVERYthing. I think I’ll take a nap. LOL
Beautiful words that washed over my spirit today with great encouragement. Thank you, Holley. His arms are big, and they are holding me…
GOD BLESS!
I had a tough week of trying too hard last week. Then on Sunday I felt a prompting within me to just give myself permission to let it be what it is. Something about giving myself permission loosed something in me and I have come into this week in a much better place. Thank you for these words and the reminder that we really don’t have to try so hard. Hugs to you Holley!
I love this post… Beautifully said, I especially love this:
“But our God is not a taskmaster. Instead he’s a loving Father, and he wants his children to rest.”
There have been many times in my life that I’ve had to remind myself that rest is not laziness. I put so much pressure on myself sometimes to constantly “DO” rather than just rest and BE. Thank you for this post and for hosting the link up! Blessings to you 🙂
Thank you for this short and sweet reminder….that verse in Matthew was my verse to ponder on yesterday…its definitely one of the most sweet words in scripture…to come to Jesus all who are weary and rest….to learn from Him who is gentle and humble in heart…what an amazing description of God…the yoke He asks us to take on is often not the impossible that we sign up ourselves for all of the time…but truly what He has called us to…He doesn’t call us to always spread ourselves thin…He invites us to Mary mentality where “only one thing is required and that won’t be taken from us” the joy to just sit and be….be loved and let our hearts naturally love Him back…your post was the theme of my week …thanks!
Wow! I find it amazing that every time I read your post-it’s exactly what my heart needs to hear! God uses you in amazing ways in my life & I’m so grateful to meet you here, read your words, be encouraged & to get to call you friend! I’m praying for you & your family during this difficult time. Confident that Jesus will carry each of you & give you strength one.day.at.a.time. Love you lots, Holley! Thank you for sharing your heart, even when it hurts. xoxo ♥
Oh, Holley, your meme was the first thing on my feed when I logged on. I’ve just logged on to post an update to a prayer request for my father who was taken to the hospital yesterday morning. An update to share that he’s passed away…that I’ve lost my Daddy. Well, you know I took the time to read what you posted today and it is timely. The past year I’ve learned so much more about resting in the Lord, resting as an act of worship and trust, and freely receiving from God. Even if I didn’t read your post, the meme was just what I needed to see/read today. Praise to the Everlasting and Almighty God Our Father who somehow manages to work through others to give each of us what we need each day. Amazing Manna from Heaven. Today someone else may have received “don’t quit, let God carry you” manna via your post…I received “let it go, mourn, rest in me and know I knew you’d be hurting here today” manna. So many flavors in the same beautiful words you are inspired to write. Thanks, Friend! xoxo
I am so grateful to have found this online community of Christian women to encourage, comfort, and lift each other up. Holley, your words are a blessing to us all. Thank you for sharing with us/me.
This has been a year of many challenges, but I prefer to think of them as “growing pains”. They all lead me to the comfort of my Lord. It is good to be reminded we all face difficulties but we are never alone. God has given us each other to lean on.
Blessings to you!
Holley, I’m so thankful to have found your site and heard your voice. Thank you! Going to try a little less-hard today…