A beautiful act of worship.

I think often of the parable of the talents. And then I often wonder if I'm burying mine.

Not to beat a dead horse (not that I'd ever do such a thing), but the series we're doing in our Sunday Bible study class called Emotional Maturity has kept my finger steadily on my own pulse.

I have issues with OCD, I get overwhelmed easily, and I let Satan play into my insecurities as a woman of God.

Not cool.

But the more you know, the more you can change.

Randy Gariss (who teaches Emotional Maturity) talks about how we often use seemingly good or neutral things to ease the discomfort we feel with certain emotions.

So, if you love running marathons, maybe you do it to the detriment of your health because you can't deal with your rocky marriage anymore.

Or if you love serving the poor, maybe you spend all your time doing so because you feel appreciated when you do, and it fills your tank of self-acceptance.

For me? It's writing.

I can put it on a pedestal or deeply self-sabotage my efforts with it in an attempt to feel differently in the moment.

Again, not cool.

I've done a disservice to myself and my readers because of this behavior, but I'm a BIG believer in repentance. Sitting in my sin is not an option. So, I'm moving forward.

Christ has given me many talents, so to speak. And He's practically rolled out an entire platform for me to use to honor Him. When I view it this way, these things are just tools. They no longer need to overwhelm me, and I don't have to do what the Internet says I have to do with them.

The more I live, the more I'm thankful for the small and the quiet and the ability to honor God in the way He's created me.

If you're feeling tired and overwhelmed like you do nothing right and everything's crashing around you, I can't suggest enough this idea of taking this bitter mess to Jesus so He can clean it up and you can rest your head.

All of this can be a beautiful act of worship. But only if we let it.