Have you ever found yourself longing to be further along in your journey, striving for what hasn’t happened yet? In these situations, I’ve found that taking myself out of the running is the healthiest course of action.

In a couple of months, I’ll attend the yearly She Speaks conference through Proverbs 31 Ministries. It’s a convention for women called to share the Gospel message through writing and speaking, and I’m always amazed as I sit in the opening session to see how many women God has called to be ambassadors of the Good News.

I realize that I am not alone in this calling as I rally with over 500 women to glean, grow, and galvanize one another in our missions.

One of the things I love about this gathering is the emphasis on encouragement and equipping rather than competitive rivalry. God has gifted us differently, and there is room for everyone to enter this wild realm of sharing Jesus with our circle of influence. The harvest is plentiful, and the laborers are few. He calls us in unique ways, and He equips us to do the work.

The difficult part is not getting caught up in what others are doing. For me, following Christian authors, bloggers, and speakers on social media means putting on blinders and not focusing on their likes or the crazy number of followers they have.

My wise daughter reminded me of a book we read a few years back, You Are The Girl For the Job, by Jess Connolly, which advised us to “take yourself out of the running.” I loved this book, and the quote was well-received.

Taking myself out of the running is a game-changer. It doesn’t mean I toss aside all confidence or give up hope that God is using my efforts to build His kingdom.  It means I can trust God with the journey I’m on and the place He has me in.

This applies to so many areas of our lives… take yourself out of the running when it comes to getting the accolades you think you deserve,  winning a competition, expecting a job promotion, or… fill in the blank. Where do you wish you were, or what do you hope to achieve?

Seeing yourself out of the running is a shift in perspective that removes an unnecessary burden, humbles our heart, and sets the stage for a pleasant surprise when something great does happen.

“My heart is not proud, Lord, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me. But I have calmed and quieted myself, I am like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child I am content.” Psalm 131:1,2.

Am I saying we lower our own standards? No way.

But we don’t concern ourselves with outcomes or matters over which we have no authority. We keep our standard for excellence high, and our expectations low. We reach for the stars but are completely ok if we only make it to the stairs.

By voluntarily removing ourselves as candidates or contenders, we take the pressure off ourselves and fix our eyes completely on the Lord.

We can’t control the results, but we can lay aside our striving and focus our gaze upon the Lord. We can trust God and know He has a masterful plan for our lives. He guides, provides, and has our best interests at heart.