Meredith n. Mills
Letting Go of the Try-Harder Life
Welcome!
Abundant living.
Rest at our core.
God’s presence in the everyday.
Is that how you’d describe the Christianity you know?
When Jesus walked our planet, He claimed these would be the experience of those who follow Him. Fast forward a couple thousand years, though, and most of us wouldn’t say that’s our day-to-day reality.
At least, not if we’re being honest.
Instead of full and satisfying lives, we spend our days on empty, secretly disappointed with the faith life we once enthusiastically embraced.
Instead of rest deep in our souls, we’re driven by an inner restlessness. We try hard to do all the things, because maybe, just maybe, today we’ll quit feeling like God’s disappointed in us.
Instead of supernatural living, we work hard to stay tucked in our comfort zones, where life is predictable, and we feel some measure of control.
Something deep inside says there’s got to be more to Christianity than this, but everyone else seems to have it figured out, so maybe it’s just us.
If any of this strikes a chord in your heart, I hope you’ll make yourself at home here.
I believe we long for more, because there is more.
I believe Jesus wants us to take Him at His Word and run confidently to Him — on both our good days and our bad.
I believe His promises still apply to His people today and they’re experienced through ongoing interaction with His Spirit.
This is life’s greatest adventure and the soul’s greatest fulfilment. Will you join me in letting go of the try-harder life?
My Journey
I know the exhaustion of “try-harder” Christianity, because I spent several decades there. Then my good girl life fell apart, leaving me with nothing to offer God but fractured faith and a burned-out life.
In that dark and lonely place, Jesus showed up. He took my broken pieces without an ounce of condemnation, with no pressure to hurry up and fix myself. He filled the emptiness of my soul with abundant grace and shocking acceptance.
He showed me that His goodness, not mine, is the foundation of my daily relationship with God since I’m joined to Him through faith. I can run to Him on repeat, knowing He will always receive me.
This shift in perspective, this confident approach, set me free to experience those promises Jesus made – abundant life, rest for my soul, and the power of His Spirit in my everyday spaces.
Because it’s His life lived through me, not my life lived for Him.
It’s relational, not transactional. And the longer I walk with Him in this renewed relationship, the more whole and content I become at my core.
(Read more of my story here.)
I’d love to share this journey with you. You can join my mailing list below to have updates delivered straight to your inbox and gain access to my freebie library.
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My Writing Blog
Follow Along
6 Times Faith Deconstruction Really is a Good Thing
What is “faith deconstruction” and does it have a place in the Church? As someone who lived it before ever hearing the term, here’s why I think it’s important.
What is Spiritual Bypassing and How is it Harming Our Faith?
How is this popular escape mechanism harming us and our communities? Is there a healthier alternative?
Finding God in the Wake of the Storm
In the wake of Hurricane Helene, I’ve experienced a jumble of emotions. Grief for my friends over what they’d lost. Relief that we hadn’t lost much. Guilt over feeling such relief. Shame for being sad and anxious when others had it worse. Gratitude for the hundreds of different ways our community banded together to show love.
As I processed all these feelings in prayer, I sensed God’s Spirit saying to mine–Look for what is constant and anchor yourself there.
Here are 4 qualities of God I’m holding onto as we recover from this storm.
5 Comforting Prayers for When Your Faith is Slipping
Why should I keep following God when he isn’t answering my prayers?
