1 Peter 5:7

Are You Balanced?

03032018 Balanced.jpg

I have a life-long tendency of being uncoordinated and having a poor sense of balance. I’m a klutz. I even had an MRI of my neck done once because the physical therapist thought I may have something wrong with my spine in the neck area because I had frequent falls. As it turns out, nothing was significantly wrong with my neck. His explanation, “You’re clumsy.” My clumsiness and balance issues were causing me to fall down and get unnecessary pains, scrapes and bruises.

Many of us go through life unbalanced getting hurt, and we cannot seem to quite figure out why we feel so “off” or just tired and defeated so often. The key is balance. We are created as a spiritual, physical, and emotional being. If any of these areas is not getting adequate care and attention, we will be unbalanced just as a car with a flat tire. We may include feeling overwhelmed and may even include the feeling that other women have their life more “together” than we do but we cannot quite seem to figure it out.

Our primary concern must be our spiritual health. If we are spiritually anemic, we will find ourselves continually searching for something to meet the need. Nothing can fill the God-shaped hole in your soul. You can search, but you will come up empty. John 6:35 says, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” (HSB)  Psalms 107:9 is reassuring as it tells us, “For He has satisfied the thirsty and filled the hungry with good things.” (HSB) If you do not have a personal relationship with Jesus, you can begin right now!

Just come with the hot mess you have going on. Acknowledge you are a sinner and ask for His forgiveness. Acknowledge Jesus came to earth as a baby, died on the cross and rose from the dead for your sins, and then accept the gift of forgiveness! It is that simple! If you have questions, message the Girlfriend Ministry page. We would love to help you!

For those of you who are already saved, when was the last time you had a consistent quiet time with your Father and just worshipped Him and listened to that still, small voice speak to you? How can we defend against the arrows of the enemy that fly at us when we have not even stopped to put on the full armor of God? This must be top priority in our lives. He is waiting to hear from you!

How is your physical health? Touchy subject, isn’t it? I’m speaking to all of us on this one. We do not talk about this much in Christian settings, do we?  What does our overall health look like? Are you a good steward of the temple of God? “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” (1 Cor 16:19-20 ESV) Do you eat a healthy, balanced diet and drink plenty of water instead of sugary drinks?  Do you exercise regularly?  Do you get regular check-ups with your doctor(s) and follow medical recommendations?  1 Corinthians 10:31 instructs us, “So, whatever you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”  We are to take good care of our physical health so that we will bring glory to God. (For the record, I just had a big spoonful of peanut butter and Nutella right before writing this blog – great timing, huh?!).

Emotional health tends to be a big topic for women. All too often, we carry around the weight of our families, our job, our finances, and who knows what else on our shoulders. We juggle it all and tote it around. When others check in on us, we respond, “I’m fine!” All it takes is one more thing to be added to the load on the wrong day, and it tips the scales and we fall apart.

Sisters, we were not designed to carry this load. God tells us in 1 Peter 5:7 that He wants us to put our load on Him because He cares for us.  Some of us carry emotional burdens from the past or from an unhealthy relationship. Give it to Him. Seek Godly guidance and professional counseling. Each of us is so important to Him and loved by Him that He gave His Son for us and is just waiting for us to rely on Him.

Sisters, I encourage you to begin today working towards being balanced taking good care of all three areas of your being. You will feel less hurt and banged up and will be surprised how much more effective you are in every area of your life. Let us work toward balance in order to bring honor and praise to the Lord in every area of our life!

Soul Clutter

Soul Clutter and What To Do About It

A few weeks ago, I had a rare attack of orderliness and decided to deep clean my bedroom and organize my closet. I filled my car trunk with giveaways and stuffed three garbage bags with junk before I came to my senses. Several times, I thought to myself, “I bit off more than I can chew here,” but I kept going until every drawer and every surface was clean and neat. Boy, did it feel good!

Sometimes, our souls get cluttered. We allow our worries, insecurities and sins to pile up and make us sluggish. Everywhere we turn, we trip over our clutter, until the Spirit whispers, “Let’s clean up this mess.”

The key to clutter is to stay on top of it and not to let it pile up. One of my favorite go-to prayers comes straight from God's Word: "Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting" (Psalm 139:23-24 NIV).

It's a prayer we can't pray too much. The more we allow God free-rein (and free-reign) in our hearts, the more He'll keep our soul surfaces free of worries and full of peace. Free of insecurities and full of God-confidence. Free of lies and full of truth. Free of sin and full of right living.

Does your soul need some decluttering? Mine, too. Let's go to Jesus.

Lord,

 My soul is not in tip-top shape. Please forgive me for letting so much yuck pile up. This is not Your best for me. Please, declutter my soul and cover it with Your joyful fingerprints.

 "Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting" (Psalm 139:23-24 NIV).

 I am worried.

Worried about the future. Worried about things that may not even happen. Worried about things I can't control. 

 I hear you, Lord, urging me to cast those cares on You like a heavy stone thrust into a deep pond (1 Peter 5:7). I hear You say to me, "Seek first [My] kingdom and [My] righteousness, and all [your needs] will be given to you as well" (Matthew 6:33 NIV).

 I am feeling insecure.

 I've been leaning on my own strength, my own skills, my own smarts, and, oh, how I fall short!

 I hear You, Lord, urging me to rest under the shadow of Your wing (Psalm 17:8). I hear You say to me, "Beloved, rest secure in [Me], for [I will shield you] all day long, and the one [I love] rests between [My] shoulders” (Deuteronomy 33:12 NIV).

 I am believing lies.

 You'll never change. You're not worth fighting for. Your future's bleak.

 I hear You, Lord, urging me to listen to the Voice of Truth (John 8:32). I hear You, Almighty God, say to me, "This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him” (Luke 9:35 NIV).

 I am cluttered up with sin.

 Pride. Unbelief. Bitterness. Jealousy. Idolatry. Ugly words and even uglier thoughts. Please forgive me as I turn from these festery, defeating things.

 I hear You, Lord, urging me to let You wash me clean (Psalm 51:7). I hear You say to me, “I [don't] condemn you; go and sin no more” (John 8:11 NKJV).

 It's funny, Lord. The more I hear You, the less I hear the accuser's taunts. The more access I give You to my soul, the more beautiful it becomes. Keep decluttering, Lord, until every surface shines with Your likeness. 

 In the powerful, purifying name of Jesus, I pray, AMEN
 

What's cluttering your soul? Let God help you clean house.