I pray that this week has been blessed and peace-filled for you. I know that as we start to enter the middle months of the year we can start to become a bit run-down and tired as the excitement of a New Year wears off and the reality of the hard work kicks in.
I just want to encourage you that if that’s how you’re feeling at the moment, remember to take time to stop, breathe and be still and let God’s presence enter your soul bringing you much needed refreshing, nourishment and restoration.
It may be a good time to take some extra time – an extra few minutes in your meditation each day, or if you meditate in the morning take a few extra minutes with God before you go to bed. Or plan an extra hour (maybe one lunch break) during the week just to spend some time with God. You will be amazed how just an extra few minutes with God will boost your energy, strength, peace and sense of well-being.
One of the most amazing verses I have ever discovered in the Bible is Romans 8:6. This incredible little hidden gem says “If our minds are ruled by the Spirit we will have life and peace”.
You see, our minds get tired and overwhelmed so it’s really important that we keep our souls nourished so that we can be spirit (and Spirit) led at all times.
When we start to get run down and tired, our minds start to say things like “I can’t do this anymore – it’s too much, it’s too hard, I’m too tired” and we become even more weary and lose our energy and our momentum.
It’s really important when you are feeling run down and tired to not let that thought get into your head. It becomes a downward spiral. The more you concentrate on how tired you feel the worse it gets. It’s not about being in denial of the reality – it’s that our minds don’t handle it well. Our minds will actually make us feel worse if we allow ourselves to focus on the tiredness.
But when our spirit is well nourished and is ruling over our mind, our spirit says “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, I can get through this because God is with me, God is for me, God is in me”.
There are lots of ways we can nourish our soul but these are the four ways that I have found to be the most powerful and effective for me
- Meditation – I think I am naturally a very strong person. Not physically but internally. I feel like I can endure a lot before I start to feel overwhelmed but honestly I know that I cannot survive without spending time with God in meditation every day. It is my lifeline. It is the thing that keeps me sane, calm and peace-filled.
- Worship and Prayer – I am a big believer in meditating in stillness and silence but I am also more and more realising the value and importance of keeping our lives filled with worship and prayer. I had a revelation about Psalm 22:3 recently which says “God inhabits (lives in) the praises of His people”. Not only does worship music, in particular, lift our spirits but we can have the beautiful sense of His presence continually with us when we are continuously in worship and prayer throughout the day.
- Bible reading – I know this sounds like a cliché but I can’t emphasise enough how much closer it brings us to God when spend time reading the Word of God. I notice a tangible difference in my morning meditation if I have spent time reading my Bible before I go to sleep the night before. I urge you to try it if you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed or run down and need strengthening of the soul. It re-centres and focusses us on Him.
- Rest – We cannot go on forever like a zombie saying “I can do all things through Christ…” God never intended that for us. God never did that himself. On the seventh day He rested. And we must rest too. I know sometimes we must get through a busy time and that’s when we say ‘I can do all things through Christ’ but then we rest. In this busy day and age we have to be intentional about rest. We have to plan ahead. Plan to have a day off with God. Plan to have longer if you can. And don’t feel guilty about it. (That is one of the devil’s ploys to keep us exhausted and run down).
I shared the above quote on Instagram recently (@godcentredmeditation) and I will finish with what I wrote about it below – I hope that it helps and encourages you to find your strength and rest in Him this week.
“Learning to rest physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually is an act of worship”
“Our modern day way of living makes us feel guilty if we are not always on the go or always doing something. But God’s original design for us was an idyllic life of leisurely strolls through the garden with Him. In this day and age we have to be intentional about making time to rest. Make sure you do. God loves it when we take time to rest because it is the time we are most present to Him and He is able to restore our soul. Take some time today to be still, be present and be aware of His presence with you, in you and all around about you”Love and Blessings,
Leah ♥♥
PS. Don’t forget to join us on ACC.TV (online or Foxtel in Australia) on Sunday mornings at 7.55am (AEST)
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