Motivation Monday - Just Breathe

“Are you weary, carrying a heavy burden? Come to me.  I will refresh your life, for I am your oasis.  Simply join your life with mine.  Learn my ways and you’ll discover that I’m gentle,  humble, easy to please. You will find refreshment and rest in me.  For all that I require of you will be pleasant  and easy to bear.”

Matthew 11:28-30(TPT)

I sat across the table from a young leader at the coffee shop, who began to tear up when I asked her how much time she takes for her own self-care.  It’s often not something that women take time for, because the demands of ministry, family, and work life are never-ending.

When you create expectations for yourself that would be daunting to Super Woman, you are driven to keep performing so others will not be disappointed in you. And others get used to your ability to just keep on running and are put out when you begin gasping for air.

Just as we need to eat and sleep, we also need

to breathe.

I’ve witnessed that our economy and our society are run by the driven. They climb to positions of power by force and then demand the same over-commitment from those under them. Of course they should require us to put in the time to get the job done. But when they require overloading that destroys our inner cohesion, then they have exceeded the moral mandate for leadership. The truth is that this kind of leadership is often seen in church and ministry settings. Somehow we think that God is asking us for more, and asking us to the detriment of our health. Perhaps those who are asking are not necessarily passing on God’s requests but driven by their own frantic need to produce results at the pace of olympic sprinters.

The healthy and steady commitment of Jesus to a step-by-step, day-by-day journey that involved solitude, prayer and saying “no” regularly, should be a guide for us.

Jesus knew how to refresh His own life on a daily basis, and He wants to do the same for you.

Simply. Slow. Down. While much is important, not all things are urgent.

Decide the difference between the two in God’s presence.

Following Jesus is a long game. You cannot sprint seven days a week and expect to make a strong finish if you spend your energy acting out of the belief that all things are equally important.

It is important to learn what our limits are, and to avoid making further withdrawals if we are already depleted to the max. And it is important to respect these limits in others.

In his book, Margin, Richard A. Swenson says this:
“When you reach the limits of your resources or abilities, you have no margin left. Yet because we don’t even know what margin is, we don’t realize it is gone. We know that something is not right because we can’t solve the puzzle beyond that. Our pain is palpable, but our assailant remains unnamed.”

Will you allow Jesus to refresh your life and be your oasis this week? Would you simply join your life with His and ask what He would like you to do at the start of every day? And breathe!

I believe in you.  God bless.

Cathie