Posts Tagged: getting off our own backs

“Don’t Aim for the Stars!”

On May 27, 2023 by Dteb With 0 Comments - down to earth believer

“We all stumble in many ways.” (James 3:2a, New International Version)

A friend of mine was confessing to me that he tends to beat himself up for the smallest of infractions. These infractions may require a powerful microscope to even see. They may in fact be imaginary. Still, the beatings continue. My reply to him was, to a great extent, me talking to myself.

“I have many of the same tendencies that you do. When I screw up—even a little and even when it may all be just in my head—I tend to go off on myself and off the good path. My perfectionism tends to make me much less perfect. An acquaintance told me decades ago that I ought to get off my own back. He was right back then. He still is.

I’ve heard it said, “Aim for the stars and you might hit the moon.” I think that a more realistic and helpful (though rather negative) saying might be, “Aim for the stars and you might hit rock bottom.” Perhaps it would be even more accurate to say, “Aim for the stars and you will hit rock bottom.” We were not made to aim for the stars in our lives. We were made to aim at and to walk on the earth in a humble and loving way. That is where our focus needs to be. That is where we need to be.”

Aspirations are all very well and good, except when they are not. Sometimes we just need to get off our own backs. Getting on our own backs takes way too much energy and flexibility anyway. And staying on our own backs just makes us swaybacked.

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