Living in the Tension - iBelieve Truth: A Devotional for Women - May 8, 2025
"In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat—for he grants sleep to those he loves." Psalm 127:2 (NIV)
I don't know about you, but I often find myself stuck between two extremes: what's been done and what still needs to be completed. No matter how many hours I work a day, how early I rise, or how hard I work, the items on my "to-do" list seem to be never-ending. Even if I've checked off fifty tasks for the day, it's not enough. There is still more to do and not enough time to do it. If you struggle with anxiety, you probably know what I mean.
Psalm 127:2, however, reminds us that life is about living in this tension. It's useless to rise early and stay up late, constantly being addicted to work. Why? Because many who read this verse get a few things confused. First, God does want us to work hard. 1 Timothy 5:18 tells us that a worker deserves his wages: "For Scripture says, 'Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain'” and “The worker deserves his wages" (1 Timothy 5:18, NIV).
We're not to be lazy. Proverbs 10:4-5 says it this way: "Lazy hands make for poverty, but diligent hands bring wealth. He who gathers crops in summer is a prudent son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son" (NIV). The problem is when we start relying on what we do instead of what Christ enables us to do.
Second, if we're working hard, we will know the balance between work and rest. We will do what we can, but ultimately trust God with the rest. God doesn't want us suffering in anxious toil, addicted to work, and busy because we fear taking a break. No, He grants sleep and rest to His children! While we sleep, God works on our behalf. He completes the picture. He finishes the task. He helps us rest easy.
Will the tasks we need to do be there the next morning? Most likely, yes. But this verse encourages us that, with Christ, we don't need to work ourselves into the ground. We don't need to strive ceaselessly. We don't need to bow to the pressure to "do it all" because doing so is impossible anyway.
Is this easy? Not at all. We live in a society that worships productivity. Add mental health struggles into the mix, and we've got a disaster of anxious, depressed, and endlessly working people. But friends, there is hope. There is a better way. An easier yoke. A lighter burden. A lifestyle that still works hard but trusts God with the anxieties eating us alive.
I've struggled with an addiction to productivity for the last few years. High-functioning anxiety at times is truly crippling. But God led me to a wonderful counselor. God provided a psychiatrist with medication. He opened my heart and mind to see that He provides in just the way we need. Life is about living in the tension, and if those things help me to serve Him better, then so be it. That's what life is all about—becoming the best version of myself so I'm well-equipped to serve Him faithfully.
Tasks for tomorrow will still be there. My anxiety will tell me I need to do them all now. They are red and inflamed with flashing lights. But Jesus is helping me do what I can and surrender the rest. He's helping me understand what it means to live in the tension instead of always trying to escape it.
Let's pray:
Dear God, living in the tension of life can be overwhelming, scary, and anxious. It seems there is never enough time to get everything done. When we're struggling, Lord, please remind us that you give rest to those you love. If we need to go to therapy, give us the confidence. If we need medication to make those tasks seem a little less pressing, then encourage us. Help us do what we can and lay down the rest, trusting in you to sustain us each day. We praise, thank, and love you, Lord. Amen.
Agape, Amber
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Roman Donar / EyeEm
Related Resource: Instead of Doing More This Summer, Maybe You Need to Do Less
If you've been feeling tired, overwhelmed, depleted, or just quietly wondering where God is in the middle of a very full life — this episode is for you. And honestly? It might be for me too, because I'm recording this in one of those seasons myself.
Today we're doing something a little different. Instead of going deep in a passage, we're talking about what to do when deep feels like too much — when you need less, not more. Specifically, I'm walking you through one of my favorite practices for weary seasons: handwriting scripture.
Not typing it. Not scrolling past it. Actually writing it out, slowly, in your own hand — because something happens in your brain when you do that. The words land differently. They go deeper. And over time, they become part of that personal library of God's voice that the Holy Spirit can pull from when you need it most. That's what Psalm 119:11 means when it says I have hidden your word in my heart — it's scripture moving into your long-term memory, where it lives and stays even when you haven't opened your Bible in weeks.
I'm sharing the five verses I wrote out for myself today — and why each one hit me fresh even though I've known some of them for years. This episode is part of our How to Study the Bible Podcast, a show that brings life back to reading the Bible and helps you understand even the hardest parts of Scripture. If this episode helps you know and love God more, be sure to follow the How to Study the Bible Podcast on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
