Tag: mind

Three Rs

A slightly shorter post today as I prepare to put these Three Rs into practice!

On the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested from all his work. (Genesis 2:2, NLT)

I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint. (Jeremiah 31:25, NIV)

Rest for the body. When God created the heavens and the earth, He modeled a work and rest balance for us. Like Him, we are refreshed by finishing work that is good. Like Him, we are satisfied when we take time off after a job to reflect on and enjoy our accomplishment. Living for God’s purpose and following His principles allows rest for our bodies because we value both work and rest. His ways keep us from resting too much (idolizing rest) or resting too little (idolizing work). Rest should be refreshing and prepare us to eagerly embrace the next good work God has for us.

“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. (Matthew 11:28-29, NIV)

He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west. (Psalm 103:12, NLT)

Rest for the soul. Many of us carry heavy burdens in our souls, including guilt. Jesus came to remove that burden and offer us a restored relationship with God (Romans 3:24). Once we have accepted His sacrifice as payment for our sin, we can let go of the fear of displeasing God (Romans 8:38-39). We can have assurance that our future with God is secure (I John 5:13). Instead of fearing his rejection, our souls can rejoice in His grace and goodness. When we quickly confess and repent of our sin, our souls remain light (I John 1:9).

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7, NIV)

And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. (Philippians 4:8, NLT)

Rest for the mind. Anxiety and worry rob us of rest. God does not want His daughters to fill their minds with worries and fears about the future. Instead, He wants us to share those concerns with Him and let our minds be at rest. He has instructed us in what should fill our minds, and that list enables us to rest! We may need to revisit this instruction many times in order to stay at rest, but that is okay. God is always ready to hear our requests and take on our burdens, He is always ready to give us rest as we focus our thoughts on the good He has provided for us.

Sometimes our rest is a brief break during a busy day. At other times it is an evening of refreshment. On rarer occasions, it is a break from regular life where we can get away from many of our responsibilities and commitments to refuel more deeply. Each serves a different purpose and all are part of far more life.

Sisters,
Which of these three Rs is easiest for you: resting your body, resting your soul, resting your mind? Which is hardest?
How and when can you rest today?
What helps you recognize your need for rest? Do you listen to those cues? If not, what would allow you to do so?
Is your work and rest in balance? If not, what do you need to change to get there?
Experience far more life today as you take a step toward resting your body, soul, and mind in Him.
-Shari

Copyright 2022, Shari Damaso
Photo credit: Jennifer Davis Marsh

Worth Waiting For

Life involves a lot of waiting. We are often ready for the next thing before its time. I remember spending much of my childhood wanting to be older. Many students want to be finished with school. Many single people want to be in a relationship. Many childless people want to be parents. Many working people want to be retired. Many older or terminally ill people want to be in heaven. Regardless of our situation, we are probably waiting for something.

While change is a natural part of life, we can be tricked into believing the “next thing” will bring us far more life. If reaching the next thing becomes our central pursuit in life, we will suffer negative consequences. We will most likely ignore warning signs of problems along the path we are traveling. We may become numb or blind to the negative effects of our choices. We will miss out on gifts and blessings God wants to give us. Discontentedness with ourselves, God, and our lives can also rob us of far more life. God’s Word tells us:

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens. (Ecclesiastes 3:1, NIV)

He has made everything beautiful and appropriate in its time. (Ecclesiastes 3:11, AMP)

God’s timing is perfect — and worth waiting for. But when we are told “wait” without further instruction, it is often frustrating. We are wired to move forward, to keep growing, changing, experiencing and learning. Constant reminders of what we cannot do or have makes us focus on that even more. It makes waiting harder.

So what should we focus on while we wait? How do we find far more life where we are? These translations of Proverbs 4:23 give us several perspectives to consider:

Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life. (AMP)

More than anything you guard, protect your mind, for life flows from it. (CEB)

Above everything else, guard your heart; for it is the source of life’s consequences. (CJB)

Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts. (GNT)

Above all else, watch over your heart; diligently guard it because from a sincere and pure heart come the good and noble things of life. (VOICE)

The key to waiting well is controlling what we allow to linger in our heart and mind. What we value most — what our thoughts dwell on — determines our actions. When we are focused on getting something, temptation to do whatever is needed to get it is strong. If we instead focus on loving and obeying God, we find far more life as we wait for His plan and timing.

Some people claim obeying God will get us what we want; that is a backwards, selfish perspective. A sincere and pure heart is not making deals with God and performing good deeds to earn what we want. Far more life is motivated to obey out of love for God and a desire to honor Him. While good circumstances may come out of that obedience, those are bonuses rather than the goal. Far more life trusts that God is for us, that He is working for our good, and that His gifts — whatever He has hand-selected to bless us — are worth waiting for.

I think of this commonly misinterpreted verse:

Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you your heart’s desires. (Psalm 37:4, HCSB)

Many read this as saying, “cheerfully obey God and you will get what you want”. But the verse really communicates that when we make God the center of our life, our desires will change to match His. We will be satisfied and content with what He provides because that has become what we want. I can think of many times I had to wait: for friendship; for a church family; for employment; for a husband; for children; for health; for answers to prayers. In each situation, God has refined my desires to make them holier and more satisfying than what I originally wanted. He has surprised me, blessed me, and proven that His plan was worth the wait. And when it came to pass, I was thrilled with what He provided!

This topic brings to mind a worship song that was popular several years ago. It speaks of the challenges of waiting for God and how we can wait well. Prompted by that song, I wrote a list of things we can do while we wait for Him:

We can talk to God openly and honestly while we wait (I Thessalonians 5:17).

We can study God’s Word to deepen our understanding of Him while we wait. (Psalm 119:33-37)

We can recognize areas of our heart, soul, and mind that doubt Him while we wait. (Psalm 139:23-24)

We can renew our mind to see Him — as well as ourselves and others — more clearly while we wait. (Romans 12:2)

We can serve Him with our spiritual gifts and God-given talents while we wait. (John 12:26)

We can invest our time and energy in loving other people in big and small ways while we wait. (Matthew 22:29)

We can offer ourselves as a living sacrifice, living for God in every area of life, as we wait. (Romans 12:1)

We can grow in Christlikeness as we wait. (Ephesians 4:22-24)

Waiting is hard! But God has a plan for us, even in waiting. We can fight against His plan or we can join Him and find far more life as we wait. When we join Him, we discover His timing and plan was worth waiting for!

Sisters,
For what have you had to wait? What are you waiting for now?
What negative things have you experienced by not waiting well?
Which translation of Proverbs 4:23 is most meaningful to you? Post it somewhere you will see it often; even better, memorize it!
How has God changed your desires as you waited?
What will you do as you wait today?
Embrace far more life right where you are!
-Shari

Copyright 2021, Shari Damaso