Sheep Don’t Strive

S-T-C Tuesday: January 10, 2023

“God, my shepherd, I don't need a thing! You have bedded me down in lush meadows.. You find quiet pools for me to drink from. True to your word, you let me catch my breath and send me in the right direction. (Psalm 1-3 MSG)

At any given time, we’re either striving or stewarding. 

Striving is so embedded in our society’s preferred way of life that it doesn’t even feel like a problem to say we’re striving.

“Striving? Of course I’m striving.. I want to be great!”

This is the battle cry of so many leaders in life today.

Simultaneously we’re seeing burnout, languishing, anxiety, depression and even a 3% increase in people taking their own life. 

We have to be very careful with our relationship with “striving.”

Is striving good for our well-being anyway?

At any given moment as a leader, you’re either striving or stewarding, and here’s the difference. (Dictionary definitions for both - not mine).

Stewardship: “The job of taking care of something. Responsible planning and management.”

Striving: “Make great efforts to achieve or obtain. Struggle or fight vigorously.”

And there lies the major difference between a drifting life and an on-purpose life.

Striving is focused on achieving and obtaining and it’s clear it’s a struggle and a vigorous fight. It’s exhausting and it’s validated only when the external achievement or attainment is realized. If not, it’s a waste. 

Stewarding is the focused CARE of what we’re entrusted with. Responsibly focusing on our days, our people, our processes. 

It’s controlling the controllables, planning well, preparing well, working well. And then releasing that which is out of our control. 

It’s really hard to steward and worry at the same time. 

It’s really hard to strive and rest well at the same time. 

If your days are riddled with stress, anxiety, fear, angst - it’s probably an indicator you’re striving and it’s time to diagnose the point of friction and address it.

If your days are full of joy, contentment, internal rest - it’s probably an indicator you’re stewarding your life and the opportunities afforded to you. 

You know you can be absolutely great and be in a stewarding posture right? Despite what we’re told in society - you can be a winner and do it without sacrificing the things that matter the most. 

Ambition drift is when we settle for a definition of success that is fed to us. In modern society, we’re settling for a striving culture. Striving for what? Striving to go where? Striving to achieve or obtain what? Who told you that was what you were supposed to do?

“True to your word, you let me catch my breath and send me in the right direction.”

Catch your breath for a moment.

Sheep don’t strive

Stay The Course