Peace > Anxious Toiling

October 17, 2023

“It is vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sheep.” (Psalm 127:2)

In life and leadership, we are going to experience turbulence. The goal isn’t to insulate ourselves and never experience hard times. The goal is to prepare to navigate the hard times.

This requires a lifestyle that looks different from our old way of doing things. Mastery of what is happening on the inside of us as things transpire around us.

Inside-out.

Mental mastery, Emotional mastery, Spiritual mastery

Recognizing that everything that happens has an impact on our thoughts, our emotions and our soul.

Our default system is failing us. We think we have an endless capacity for the stress of our surroundings. We endure. We fake toughness, fake smiles, fake control.

If we’re ever going to experience the flourishing life, we must begin to do work at the intersection of our leadership and wellness.

Everything you are doing as a leader has an impact on your well-being. The stress of leadership, the stress of responsibility, the loneliness associated with leading, the criticism, the pressure (both self imposed and others imposed), the expectations, the deadlines and due-dates, the angst of apathy, the underperforming individual, the difficult teammate, the immovable problem. 

It can all stack and have a silently profound impact on our joy and rest. As a result our default operating system nudges us to double-down on our own anxious toiling. Up early. Up late at night. Never pausing. Never taking inventory. 

It’s all “eating the bread of anxious toil.”

If you find yourself up early, up late - anxiously toiling, recognize you are being invited into the process of leveling up mastery of your internal state. What a blessing.

As you begin the work at this intersection, you are invited to cycle through a four-step process to experience more peace in your turbulence. Recharge your operating system and in time you will reap the benefits of a soul anchored and restful. Follow the four R’s. 

Reflect - On the turbulent things that have shaken your soul. (Don’t minimize, don’t discard)

Release - Through prayer & meditation, allow your soul to release the cares of this world to God. (1 Peter 5:7)

Reset - The stilling of your soul (not necessarily the stilling of your circumstances)

Rest - Once your soul is stilled, you can truly rest. 

There’s no room for anxious toiling in the lifestyle of the flourishing leader.