Since I was young, I was taught never to be indebted to anyone. Somewhere in that lesson I came to believe that my ability to succeed on my own was a sign of strength, and alternatively, my reliance on others for any success was a sign of weakness. As a result, I have often found myself instinctively rejecting heart-felt offers by friends and family to run errands, transport children, or simply offer company when times were chaotic and opting instead to handle it on my own.
And I don’t think I’m alone.
While I can trace the origins of this mentality to my particular background, it is certainly one that many women share. Something about having another party involved in our lives or rescuing us in any way simply fills us with a sense of inferiority. Of course, as the demands of life mount, whether it be more children, job changes, or a simple desire to enjoy life a little bit, we women should perhaps reflect on what “handling it all” really says.
While it may be true that managing our entire lives, without any outside assistance, is a sign of strength, it is likely also a sign of at least one vice: pride. God created us all in his image, giving each of His children specific talents to share. And our purpose is to glorify Him. When we attempt to be the creator and orchestrator of our entire life, we ignore these truths. We deny our brothers and sisters in Christ the opportunity to express their God-given talents (which might be much more impressive than our own) to touch our lives in deeply significant ways. We also reduce our lives to glorifying deadlines or our abilities for “getting it done” rather than God’s ability to provide for us in the present moment through those people who love us.
Simply put, “handling it all” is not our call from the Lord. We are called to live, love and glorify Him, and that is a journey not intended to be walked in isolation.
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