Verified: Prioritizing Internal Growth in an Image-Driven WorldSample

True Growth Must Be Digested This mini devotional was the result of my own personal deep work. I wrote this series in a day, with all of my notifications off, typing in front of a window and literally watching snow melt over the course of the day. I intentionally gave my present focus, heart and gathered thought process overtime to craft this. I don’t say this to boast by any means. I say this as a fellow student to applying more deeply connected and soulful work in my own life, despite the temptations to lure myself to the attention grabbers and quick rewards of the day. I’ve learned that I’m the best version of myself and at best service to those around me when I’m committed to internal growth and living a soulful life grounded by my convictions and deep work rather than making vain attempts at trying to prove myself or climb some socially-constructed ladder. When we live in reaction to everything or jump at every chance to share ourselves with the world, we may forfeit the opportunity to sit with our soul and grow from what God is showing us about ourselves and the world around us in the process. That being said, I do believe in the power of sharing our stories and that there is value in sharing them; and if we genuinely feel led to do so then it can be a gift. Stories and raw truths help us feel less alone in a complicated mix of emotions. They can be a witness to what God is capable of redeeming in the mess of this human life. Still, we don’t owe the internet everything. These ideas we hold ourselves to of what we have to be and how we have to show up online are constructs we’ve created in our own minds or picked up from watching others. You can choose to follow them or not, based on your own goals, and there’s nothing wrong with either. But they aren’t actual rules. You don't have to show up in the way others show up in order to be worthy. You don’t owe the internet access to all of your life. The breakup. The ongoing separation. The conflicts happening in your marriage. The mental break down. The unresolved drama between you and another. The trauma you just experienced. The unexpected life change. The loss you're still processing. Even good things. The promotions, the growth opportunities, and life lessons you're still trying to apply within your own life. Your timeline of sharing or not sharing is your own. Boundaries are healthy and often necessary for personal growth and healing. Take the time you need to do the deeper more soulful work so that you are ultimately aligned with where you need to be. As I said before, the world will keep going but there is only one of you. And I believe that if we are going to produce any truly impactful work on this earth with the time that we have, then we must rethink how we’re measuring success and what we consider to be valuable. People rise and fall, and have been in this cycle since the beginning of time. If this is our aim, then our own glory is short-lived. I believe God has called you to something much more sustaining, much more everlasting, much more soulful and much more fulfilling. I believe that from this place your relationships will be more meaningful, your life will be more satisfying, your work will have greater quality and you will grow beyond what you pictured of yourself. And it will be so, so worth it. Will you join me? Pause & reflect: * What were your biggest takeaways from this devotional? * How might this perspective of deep, soulful, and sometimes silent, work change the way that you’ve been living? What does that look like practically? * Today what would you define as measures of success?