About the Author

Stephanie Bryant is the co-founder of @incourage and a podcaster at the #JesusLedAdventurePodcast. She owns a Marketing & Business Coaching company. She is passionate about guiding you to your promised land and personal brand therapy. She enjoys spending her days with her husband and their miracle daughter, Gabrielle, on #BryantFamilyFarm....

(in)side DaySpring: things we love
& you will too!
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(in)side DaySpring:
things we love
& you will too!
Find more at
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  1. It has always been my prayer to be who He wants me to be and do what He wants me to do, but I really can do nothing for HIm or without Him.

  2. This reminds me of the times when my kids were all little, and I felt buried under tasks and activity — so I would choose a day and write “BE” in my planner. On that day I would BE the kids’ mum, and try to find time to BE a child of God and my husband’s wife. It always felt so liberating. Maybe it’s time for me to do that again . . .

  3. Stephanie,
    It’s kind of ironic, but when I look back, I find that my purest “sweet spot” with God was when I couldn’t “do” anything at all. I was recovering from yet another surgery and I literally couldn’t walk for 2 months. I did a lot of sitting on the couch….a lot of reading His Word….a lot of meditating on it, praying through it, and basically just being in God’s presence. I couldn’t run anywhere and do anything FOR Him, I simply was WITH Him. That time has helped me to see, beyond a doubt, that it’s ALL about the relationship. More than anything, I believe that God’s desire is to have my heart and my undivided attention. As I have to work and hurry though my days now, I look back at that time with a special fondness and try to capture that relationship in my now, busier days. Great reminder that we are human “beings” not human “doings”!!
    Blessings,
    Bev xx

    • I love your comment that we are ‘human “beings” not human “doings”‘ – I have always loved the notion of ‘being with’ as opposed to ‘doing for’ – especially during my 35 year career as a nurse – oh the healing that can happen in those intimate moments of ‘being with’ – I am ever-so-grateful that Heavenly Father called me to be a nurse – and, now that I am retired, I am even more grateful that I can spend every morning ‘being with’ Him – reading His word and strengthening my relationship with Him – blessings, Deb xo

  4. What an outstandingly timely word of encouragement for this season of our lives. Fit for any season let us be as we trust God with all of our hearts and lean not on our own understanding, acknowledging Him all we say and do, and He will make our path straight. Let the expectation be for more of Him and less if us in who we are becoming in Christ Jesus our Lord. We live and move and have our very being in Him. It’s all about Him.

  5. I am learning how much more important it is to Be Who God made me to be and allowing Him to transform me, because if I don’t, the world presses in and tries to make me something I am not. Even the Christian community will sometimes push us into a mold that isn’t meant for us and we have to be discerning to how God is leading.

    God knows us and knows what is best for us!

  6. Wonderfully said and need what you said so much!
    Praise our Lord for Who He is and all He has done and all He will do!
    Thank you for articulating and clarifying our purpose and giving direction for our hearts, minds and souls.
    Blessings, Stephanie!

  7. Stephanie,
    Thank you so much for sharing your story. I am starting a new journey. My mantra is “Be Still and Know…”, but being a single mom with two kids (one being a teen now!), I’m DOING all I can to get by. I had lost sight of just BEING. Thank you for the reminder to pray to be so overflowing with the Spirit that His presence takes over and touches the world around us! God bless!!

    • Iria, you are a warrior, mama! I have so much respect and compassion for the hard road single moms travel. (I was raised by a single mom and my sister is one too.) Even as a married woman, I find myself often caught up in all the doing with and for my kids. I love the mantra of Be Still and Know that God has given you. Praying you feel the Spirit’s power and presence in you and with you this week. Your kids are so blessed to have you.

    • Iria,

      Being a single mom isn’t easy. Praying for discernment for God’s guidance for you and your children. May He give you the strength you need to carry on daily. Prayers also that you can find time to “Be Still” & rest in the knowledge that He loves you & has plans laid out for you!

      (((((Hugs)))))

  8. Thank you for this. It’s exactly what I needed to hear today. I’ve been suffering from self-imposed “must-dos” for quite some time, rather than allowing the Lordto work in me, and it’s coming out – in my writing, and relationships, and spiritual life. I feel disconnected from my truest self – my best version of myself – the person I am called and created to be. Your words are a balm to my spirit. Thank you.

  9. Thank you Stephanie for your sharing this morning – Oh how easy it is to lose sight of just “being with” Him – I had always thought that I had given up full control to God, but in early December of last year, I came to realize that indeed I had not – it was soon after that pivotal moment in time, whilst singing with great enthusiasm – O Come O Come Emmanuel – that He indeed topped me up, so to speak – I am so “overflowing [with] the Holy Spirit” – I refer to the experience as “freedom 59” – allowing “His presence to take over” – simply “being with” Him – “[walking] out His plan for me” – Psalm 46:10 states this so well – BE still and know that I am God… blessings to all xo

  10. Stephanie,

    I thought of another BE when I read your list…BE STILL and know… 🙂 (Annnnd….I just noticed Debra had mentioned that, too…maybe more commenters, but I see that above where I’m typing now. Great minds? 🙂 )

    Stillness isn’t passive, though, is it? It takes restraint and intention or, at least for me, it doesn’t happen. Your post is such a lovely reminder that it’s about Jesus, always. For me, I’m hopeful to learn what it means to be low, humble, more of Him, less of me. My ugly self has been incredibly self-reliant, and let’s just say that hasn’t worked out so well.

    Anyway, looking forward to hearing what these things are that God is bringing into your life in this season. OYTO, sweet friend!

  11. This was awesome. Thank you. Especially like that you mentioned it is easier to have lists and goals than to have our lives and identity be an open palm process. I love those moments when I didn’t know where my footsteps ended and His began. Those moments werent part of my list or goals or my ‘to do list that’s for sure!
    Thank you again,
    Kim

  12. Stephanie, thank you for your words of encouragement to abide in Christ. I’ve been focusing on what I should do next rather than being with God. So I needed this; I’m grateful.

  13. Oh Stephanie,
    This was literally so point on with what God has been doing in my heart. Thank you for putting it into words. Identity, BEING in His presence, not just DOING what I think is required of me as a Christian. Learning WHO and WHOSE I am and leaning into that place of intimacy where I am known and He is revealed in all His beauty and glory. That’s where I want to be!
    Thank you for sharing this morning! Blessings.

  14. I love this ❤️ It’s when we abide in the Vine that the fruit just naturally flows. I know this in my head but sometimes it can seem so hard to just BE still and let it flow down into my heart. Time for me to stop doing and start being. Thank you for this!!

  15. Stephanie,

    Thank you. Today is a day of weariness and weight. I feel burdened with what to “do” concerning the salvation and reconciliation of my siblings and childhood friend. As you stated I must choose to focus on WHO-the Jesus in me is making ME into-then the DO will come without figuring or wondering.

    I have been figuring and wondering for 3 years now, I am worn and tired. I too want to be obedient to Gods will for my life and expand His Kingdom. You are right about the creeping anxiety, horrible! From this day forward I choose Jesus and will trust Him to DO, figure out His will in the lives of my siblings and childhood friend.

    Thank You

  16. I think God has been working on breaking me out of this “doing” shell of mine for years. I think I’m like a nut (with the shell) that God has been tapping on, ever so gently. If I don’t stop and focus on Him, on that gentle tap, I just keep rolling along my own merry way, doing, doing, doing. But God is faithful and He keeps tapping, and He keeps showing me through the cracks of my shell glimpses of Him and how peaceful it is to be with Him; to not be tossed around inside this aggravating shell by all my doing. Unfortunately, I’ve got these snapshots pinned to the wall of others shaking their heads and looking down on me for following the odd-ball, “there’s no money there!” path of writing when I was younger and then as a stay-at-home mom (“You must be nuts quitting your job to do that!” Maybe that’s where the “nut” idea came from!) I think I stay hidden in this shell so those comments or looks won’t reach me. But I realize every time I roll away and do my own thing, I’m moving away from God and the cracks begin to close. I’m missing out on His light and who I get to be: His child bathed in His perfect light. And I think about John 15:5, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” So really, in all my doing and rolling around, if I’m apart from Him, I’m not really doing much of anything.

    It’s time to be still, know that He is God, and I am His child. No more shell.

    Thank you for this post, Stephanie. This helps me more than you know. God bless you.

  17. “He doesn’t need me to do anything for him, only WITH him.”
    Amen, sweet friend. That is so much of what the Spirit has been whispering to my heart. Thank you for sharing so beautifully from yours and encouraging us to walk (or sit) in the power and presence of God. I only want to do and be where He is with me.

  18. Stephanie,

    Such timely & wise advice. This world clamors for doing not resting. Resting equates to lazy. God’s theology turns this world upside down. He wants us to “be still” & know. Bonnie Gray writes in “Whispers of Rest” that we need to quiet our souls to hear God. We can’t be who God wants us to be if we don’t listen for His still small voice. This takes practice to be still & tune out this noisy world. Bonnie also mentioned taking a walk in nature to just “be with” God. When we refocus our efforts from doing for to being with & Who God wants we will be able to hear & discern His will for our lives!! OYTO!!

    Blessings 🙂

  19. Stephanie,
    Thank you for this, as I read this I am in tears, wondering, am I missing His plan for me? Do I smell, because sometimes I feel He forgets me. What are my next steps?
    I will shift to asking God, Who do you want me to be? (This is a hard one, I feel like I’m being controlled) I really want to partner with Him and follow him, let him light the path, to be obedient to His amazing plan.
    Doing so I feel I wander….