One Way to Offer Yourself More Grace and Stop Striving for More

Do you thrive on productivity, setting goals, and checking items off your list? What happens when the unexpected occurs? Do you have space for unforeseen circumstances or a little unanticipated joy, or does that bring your world crashing down around you as you attempt to accomplish it all?

Discover one way to offer yourself more grace and stop striving for more.

As I shared in my post, “Are You Willing to Change Your Ways to Discover Peace?” the chaos of my life closed in on me, and the inner peace seemed to fade away. I needed to pivot and cease my striving for more. God was whispering in my ear, “Maree, more grace.”

It took me a bit, but eventually, I melted into God’s arms and basked in His peace.

When Striving for More Leaves Us Weary

Sometimes we look at where we hoped we would be by now and realize we aren’t there. Some goals remain unfinished. The habits we hoped to change haven’t quite stuck. Perhaps life took an unexpected turn, or we didn’t have the time, energy, or capacity we thought we would.

Can you relate?

It is easy to look at what we haven’t accomplished and feel as though we have failed. But what if we stopped measuring progress only by whether we reached the finish line? What if moving closer was enough?

Could there be a way to pursue what matters to us while still offering ourselves grace along the way?

When God Invited Me to Move Closer

A few years ago, as I diligently worked through my annual goal packet, listening for God’s direction and reflecting on the year behind me, I held tight to a lesson He had been teaching me: to cease striving and offer myself—and others—more grace.

Still weary from the year before, yet torn by my desire to accomplish more, I struggled to discover what God had in mind for me. Patiently, I waited, prayed, and pondered. I wrote numerous letters to God, pouring out my heart. As I did, He began to reveal a focus for me through one simple word: Closer.

At first, it seemed like a strange word for someone who thrives on productivity. But as I started looking at all the areas where I wanted to grow, the word made perfect sense. I wanted to draw closer to God, closer to people, and closer to my goals.

Moving closer didn’t mean I had to reach perfection. It didn’t even mean I had to accomplish everything I set out to do. I could take just the next step.

We don’t have to arrive today. Moving closer is enough.

Maree Dee

Perhaps that is one way we can begin offering ourselves more grace: We can stop demanding that every step take us all the way to the finish line and allow moving closer to be enough.

But first, you might want to read about why “One Simple Word Can Bring Effective Change to Your Life.”

How One Word Can Work

The word Closer began changing how I thought about the everyday choices before me.

As I reached for the cookie, I would ask myself if this would bring me closer to healthy eating or further away. When the alarm rang at 5:30 am for Bible study, and it was below zero outside, I would ask myself if staying in bed would help me move closer to the friendships I wanted to nurture or keep me further away.

Most importantly, I began attempting to pause before jumping in to offer help, start working, or make a decision, and ask myself: “Is this God’s will, and will it bring me or others closer to Jesus?”

The question wasn’t about doing everything perfectly. It was about learning to pay attention to the direction I was moving.

Wrestling with Jesus

Of course, arriving at the word Closer wasn’t quite that simple.

Often, when God places a word on my heart, I wrestle with Him—especially when it isn’t what I expected. At first, I try to convince myself I‘’ ’m not hearing God correctly. Then I might waste a little time looking for a word with more eloquence and pizazz.

This time, Jesus confirmed the word a little differently. After tossing and turning all night, I awakened with one word on my mind—closer. Nodding to God in acceptance, I said a quick prayer and reached for my phone to see what the day had in store.

The green button indicated a text, which seemed odd so early in the morning. I opened the message, and a beautiful picture filled my screen. My friend Kathleen had colored a woman skiing, making the most beautiful turn on the mountain.

Not just any turn. Her form was excellent as she leaned in, her shoulder inches from the snow.

I can’t ski like the woman in the picture, but I love trying to improve each year. And believe it or not, I have been working on getting closer to the snow—leaning in and bending more. Unbeknownst to my friend, she had confirmed what the Lord had already placed on my heart.

Closer was my word.

Over time, I began to realize that Closer was more than a word for one particular year. It was an invitation to look at progress differently.

My Most Important Goal

Although my goals change from year to year, one pursuit remains more important than all the others: drawing closer to Jesus. My word Closer reminded me of a truth I still need today:

Moving closer to a goal is better than not moving at all.

Even more importantly, I don’t have to arrive today. I can simply keep moving closer.

Choosing one word for your year might be enough to help bring about change and growth in all areas of your life. However, will you consider one more goal? How about choosing a spiritual goal? In “How to Know Where God Wants You to Grow”

Here’s an example of my goal closer.

(Worksheets available in our Goal Workbook.)

Allow Moving Closer to Be Enough

Maybe you are someone who thrives on goals like I do. Or perhaps goals leave you feeling defeated when life doesn’t go as planned. Either way, what if we stopped asking only, “Did I accomplish it?” and started asking, “Am I moving in the direction God is leading me?”

Maybe offering ourselves more grace begins with changing the way we measure progress. Instead of seeing ourselves as failures when we don’t accomplish everything we hoped, we can notice the small ways we are moving closer—to God, to the people we love, and to the purposes He has placed before us.

Some days, we may take giant steps. Other days, our movement may be so small that no one else notices. But God does.

Looking back, I realize God wasn’t asking me to stop growing or pursuing the things He placed before me. He was inviting me to stop striving and offer myself more grace.

We don’t have to accomplish everything today, reach every goal, or check every box. We can listen for God’s direction, take the next faithful step, and trust Him with the distance still ahead.

Perhaps today, moving closer is enough.

After all, making more space for God and moving in His direction is always a beautiful pursuit.

Where could you offer yourself a little more grace today and allow moving closer to be enough?

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