Hartzler, Get Your Act Together!
Have you ever thought, If I can just get everything done, then I’ll finally be able to relax?
I have.
Lately, I’ve even caught myself saying out loud, “Hartzler, get your act together!”
When life feels out of control, I’ve noticed something about myself. I tend to respond in one of two ways: I escape from the overwhelm by picking up my phone and scrolling, or I start cleaning, organizing, and checking things off my to-do list because accomplishing something gives me a temporary sense of control.
Neither scrolling nor organizing is necessarily the problem.
The question I’m learning to ask is:
What am I expecting this to give me?
Looking for Peace in Productivity
There is something satisfying about checking an item off a to-do list. Progress feels good.
And there is nothing wrong with that.
But I’ve realized that sometimes I’m expecting my progress to give me something it was never meant to provide: peace.
I’ve been telling myself:
When I finish this project, I’ll breathe, or when I get caught up, I’ll relax, or when I get everything organized, I’ll feel settled.
But the to-do list is never really finished. We accomplish one thing and add another. We finish one season of work and begin the next.
If we’re waiting until everything is done to have peace, we may spend our entire lives waiting.
Trying to Organize My Way Into Peace
My husband, Bob, used to ask me what I was doing, and I’d often answer, “Trying to organize my life.”
I’ve said it so many times that now he doesn’t even need to ask. He’ll see me cleaning or organizing and say, “What are you doing…trying to organize your life?” And usually, he’s right!
It’s funny, but I’ve started to realize there’s something deeper underneath it.
When circumstances feel out of control, organizing something I can control gives me temporary relief.
Sometimes we do the opposite. We reach for our phones, food, shopping, television, or something else that allows us to escape what we’re feeling.
But perhaps both responses reveal the same need:
We’re looking for comfort.
The God of All Comfort
Second Corinthians 1:3 describes God as:
“The Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort.”
I’ve been thinking about that little word all.
God isn’t only our source of comfort during life’s greatest losses and heartbreaks. We can come to Him with the ordinary uncomfortable places too—the unfinished work, uncertainty, financial concerns, overwhelming responsibilities, unanswered questions, and circumstances we cannot control.
Instead of immediately reaching for something to make ourselves feel better, perhaps we can pause long enough to ask:
What am I reaching for right now?
What am I expecting it to give me?
Am I looking for comfort?
Finding Our Identity and Peace in Christ
Our work, families, homes, finances, accomplishments, and possessions can all be good gifts. But they were never meant to carry the weight of our identity.
My business doesn’t determine who I am, my productivity doesn’t determine my value, and my bank account doesn’t determine my security.
Even the people I love most cannot be the foundation of my identity.
I belong to Christ.
And because my identity and security are found in Him, I don’t have to wait until everything around me is settled before I can be settled in Him.
Trusting God When Life Feels Out of Control
Sometimes I wonder, If I really trusted God, why do I still worry?
I love the honesty of the father in Mark 9:24:
“Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.”
Maybe trusting God doesn’t mean we never feel worried or overwhelmed again. Maybe we’re learning to recognize those moments sooner and bring them back to Him.
Lord, I believe You. Help me live like I believe You to trust You with what I cannot control, and may I stop looking to my progress for the peace that comes from You.
Peace in the Middle of the Unfinished
There will probably always be something left on the list.
Something we haven’t figured out, we’d like to change, or it’s beyond our control.
But peace doesn’t have to be the reward we receive when we finally get everything done.
We can have peace in the middle of the unfinished because our peace isn’t found in having everything under control. It’s found in knowing the One who does.
So the next time I hear myself saying, “Hartzler, get your act together,” maybe I’ll remember something different:
Hartzler, go to the God of all comfort.
And friend, whatever feels unfinished in your life today, maybe you need that reminder too.
You don’t have to organize your way into peace, accomplish your way into peace, or wait until everything is done before you can breathe.
Reach for the God of all comfort.
Scripture Mentioned
2 Corinthians 1:3–4 — God is the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort.
Mark 9:24 — “Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.”
A Question to Carry With You
When life feels out of control, what do I reach for—and am I asking it to give me something I need to receive from Christ?
Until next time, friend, keep walking with Him.
And as always, cherish the meaningful moments.