Another Achiever is Going Rogue! Here’s the story of author Katie Orr, who is the creator of the five FOCUSed15 Bible study method books. Here’s what I love about Katie: she’s passionate about equipping busy women to experience God daily. She’s a mom of three, wife of pastor-husband Chris, teacher, speaker, podcaster and writer for blogs, magazines, and Sunday School curriculum. Katie and her fam live in Harrodsburg, Kentucky.

How did you move away from performing for your worth and toward receiving grace?

I’m continually on this journey. As a born Achiever, I love getting stuff done. It is how God has built me and when I remember that God has given me a greater capacity for busyness and productivity, I can use my hours, energy, and talents for His glory in a way that brings me even more energy and excitement to work as a steward of His grace. It’s when I forget that life is all about God receiving accolades – not me – and I begin to attach my worth to my productivity that I get in trouble. Thankfully, there is grace even in that. I stand on grace for the salvation I received as a teenager, but I also stand on grace for today’s mess-ups.

What would you say to encourage the woman who isolates herself from feeling her hurt and pain by being busy, by looking for outside recognition, by always trying harder?

This is not the way we are designed to live. The try-harder life is never a victorious life. You may look great on the outside, but it will lead to a death within your soul. Ultimately, that slow dying leads to a depression that robs us of the abundant life God has promised. Attempting to work from anything besides the foundation of already being accepted through the work of Christ, will only lead to heart-hardening pride or flesh-freeing license. Both of these extremes keep us from intimacy with God. Ask me how I know.

How has God helped you trust His grace and love for you?

His Word and His people. One of the biggest pitfalls of Achievers is allowing busyness as an excuse to neglect deep, meaningful time in the Word and deep, meaningful time with His bride. It is through the Bible and the church that God speaks most directly to us. Why, oh, why do we forget to make them the most important threads of our Christian life?

What counsel would you give to the woman who wants to leave behind the life of hustling, efficiency, and busyness for a life of rest and grace?

Leaving behind the try-harder life is not necessarily a death-sentence to meeting your goals. In fact, I’ve found the opposite to be true. God has built you exactly the way you are—a high-achieving, strong woman—for a great purpose. His purpose. When we are in His Word, in fellowship with His people, and walking intimately with Christ, He uses us. That is why we are on this earth, to glorify Him through all that we are.

Our goals may end up changing, or He may have a different time-table from what we first thought, but God will still use us to meet goals, check off lists, and climb mountains. The difference is that when we are in tune with His Spirit, our lists change and our goals shift. We are still productive, but with a different purpose. Most of the time He has a grander vision than we could ever imagine.

We aren’t accustomed to unconditional love, and we’re more familiar with checklists, performing, comparing, etc. What has helped you receive grace?

Better theology. I’m continually longing for a bigger, more accurate picture of God and the work of Christ on the cross. These truths are not for the 6-year old who needs to “ask Jesus into their hearts.” These truths are for our everyday, and the realities of who He is and all He has done for us can be mined for ages.

What we believe about God and our salvation—the depths of our rescue, the righteousness gifted to us, and the new purpose it all it gives us—affects everything about us. When our feet are cemented in the truths of grace and the goodness and glory of our God, we can face anything from that foundation and live our lives out in as a continual song of praise to our Savior.

 

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