Treat yo’self. Self-care. Take care of yourself first.
We all know these things and hear them daily through advertisements and social media. I do believe this to be true… to an extent.
We must put on our oxygen mask first and we can’t pour from an empty cup… but how we choose to do this is where we, as Christians, differ from the world.
The world teaches us this is found in bubble baths, pedicures or a glass of wine… the Lord tells us that these things are only found in Him.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30
One of the schemes of the enemy is to keep us busy. It is to keep us distracted by trivial things that seem like “big deals” at the time. Here are some of things we can do to help combat this.
- Ask yourself, will this matter in 1 year? 5 years? 10 years? Why does it matter so much right now?
- Pray. Invite God into every aspect of your day. Ask Him to help you plan out the things that are important to Him and not just what seems important.
- Leave margin in your day for moving things around and interruptions. Don’t pack your day so full that you have no room for the Lord to move.
The most important thing we can do is to spend the first part and the last part of your day intentionally with the Lord.
In the morning when you first wake up, sit in prayer with the Lord. Read your Bible before you read your e-mail, read your texts, or get on social media. Fill your cup with the Word of the Lord before you pour out to anyone else.
Then, at the end of the day as the last thing you do before you go to sleep, pray and reflect on how the Lord was in your day. If He wasn’t as much as you would like, ask Him how you can allow more space for Him. Repent of any convictions presented to you and ask Him to help you do better tomorrow.
When we take our time and our lists to the Lord, He is faithful to help us sort them out in the way He wants us to. We live more intentionally for Him and His Will as we surrender our own agendas.
Lord, thank you for loving us the way you do. You want what’s best for us as a loving Father. When we put too much on our plates, you help us. When we overfill our schedules, you give us strength. When we do all of these things to overwhelm our own selves, you are with us. Help us remain focused on the things that matter for eternity and not just for this week. Help mold our hearts to be in line with yours and not just a checked box. In your name we pray, Amen.
