The day at church was harder than I expected it to be. It sometimes takes me awhile to relinquish my perspective so that I can fully worship.

There are times and situations that are difficult for us to face. Sometimes we know the reasons. Other times, we’re simply not in the right mood. But when we let our temporary feelings determine every step we take (and don’t take), we will end up being in places we never intended to be and miss out on many of the places where we would have learned and grown so much more.

Sometimes we go through the motions for perseverance purposes. Not in a stubborn way. It has nothing to do with not wanting to change. It’s about knowing that change comes as we invite it. We can often find change among the consistencies of our lives. When there is stability in one area, we begin to see other areas that need to be tweaked. The divisions of our lives begin to fade so that one area impacts another. Of course, that influence can be either positive or negative, depending on what we’re focusing upon and how willing we are to notice and change.

Humility is paramount. Without it, we will stubbornly do something over and over, force our own understanding, place ourselves and others in unbending categories, and relinquish nothing. But gains cannot be made without loss.

That morning in church wasn’t about me, except my willingness to be humble and be changed. In order to be filled, I had to empty myself. It is when I set myself aside that true worship comes. It is when I set myself aside that I can see myself with God most clearly. It is when I set myself aside that aligns each area of my life with a calibrating wholeness.

And I sigh in relief.