During some stressful weeks I come home not mentally where I need to be. Having a job that doesn't "end at 5" has its ups and downs. Some days the downs are definitely challenging, but the challenge sometimes simply comes to me and the way I handle things. Sometimes I am weary and fail to leave things "at work" and know it can be picked up tomorrow. I may want to "finish" some tasks and five o'clock comes too soon and my mind stays on that task for a while.
The more I am mentally "at work" the less I am connected with my family. Some days this is easier than others. However, it reminds me of the lesson we discussed on Sunday as we examined Galatians 6:9-10. Here are some applications to choose from to use this week...
- Take a break ~ You may need to walk away from a situation for a short time to cool off or do something else. You may need to simply say "No" to things to give yourself a break.
- Take some time to breathe deeply ~ Take a deep breath, hold it, let it out, repeat several times until you start to feel relaxed
- Get Out of Town ~ Away from chaos and let yourself refill
- Disconnect from life ~ Turn off cell phones, computers, and turn to something that will refill, refuel and refocus
- Make a plan ~ Look over your life and see how you can reassess things to make it be a bit more “refilling”
- Quit Giving and Start Taking ~ Take time for yourself and let people know it. This isn’t selfish, it’s necessary from time to time
- Sit in Silence ~ Take some time to think and/or pray. If prayer, then give it to God and repeat until you feel the sense of relaxation
- Learn Your Limits ~ You know when you are at a breaking point – before you get there, be aware
- Ask help from others ~ You don’t have to do it all by yourself, it is ok to ask other people to help.
There are things you can do that may take more time or little time – activities of relaxation or responsibility. Some activities take a “season” – a hobby, etc., some activities may be able to be completed in a day, a long walk, a phone call, a day trip, and some activities you can use to refuel when you can take the time – may not be a set time – a quiet afternoon, go to bed early, doing something you enjoy with your family.
It is important to not grow so weary in doing the good things that we are not "on our game" when temptations and trials come our way.
Now it's your turn...when have you felt so exhausted that it caused you to be more susceptible to the "Enemy?"
Last night we were at my in-laws house and my son, a four-year old, was trying to help out by bringing a table back into the living room but in the meantime, knocked off a removable top. He was going through an opening that was too narrow for the top to fit through and the top just slid off.
After going over to check it out, I simply informed him that it was too narrow. He wasn't at all in trouble for what he was trying to do, but if he went much further, he might have done some damage. As a result, he started sobbing. I picked him up to try to talk to him because I had already informed him that he was not in trouble because he didn't do anything wrong. My thought was that he was embarrassed, but I learned, at bed time (after revisiting the subject) he confessed that he had thought he broke the table and felt bad.
I had failed to communicate about the fact that the top could come off and simply telling him that he wasn't in trouble did not satisfy his guilt. After learning about the table I think he felt better though he did ask why the table top could come off. Which I explained.
That just made me think about how our life may a reflection of trying to do good but end up doing something bad. Sometimes the "bad" part of it is unintentional, similar to Jesus who is intending to heal a man's hand which is shriveled. However, because He chooses to do it on this day, a Sabbath, it brings about a confrontation with the Pharisees. Here are some applications to choose from to use this week's lesson in Matthew 12:9-21...
- Look ~ Keep on the lookout for ways in which your talents and passions will enable you to do to good for someone else whom you can do "good" to.
- Be Bold ~ When you are trying to do good to someone else, make sure that you enter into with confidence and boldness. After all, you are doing it for "good" so be confident with that approach.
- Choose Him Over You ~ It can be easy to give in to outside pressures to do a good thing. Jesus could have stopped, but He chose to lay down and receive a name like them.
As you go about life, may this passage of Scripture inspire you to keep going doing the things that are "good" even when outside influences may curb you from doing hte job. Keep going!
Now it's your turn...when have you had a time when doing good seemed like it was a "bad" choice? Also, any other situation that resembled this verse.
