Earlier I posted about the importance of taking care of ourselves, focusing on our physical health. Today I wanted to write about the importance of tending to our spiritual health. When we neglect our spiritual well being both our physical and emotional health suffer as well. I've seen this so often while working in primary care. I've seen it in my own life. In comparison, when we nurture our souls, emotional and physical health also benefit.
I'm a Christ follower, so when I refer to my spiritual health I'm saying, "I need Jesus. A lot of Him. All the time." I write today's blog because it's something I need to hear as well.
Probably one of the biggest hurdles as a working mom of young children has been finding "quiet time". Quiet time? Just the name we've given our Bible Study time in christian circles had me feeling like a failure. Where was I supposed to find quiet time?
The Lord began working on my heart and showing me that my time with Him, my efforts to meet Him would not be wasted. Why not do it at the kitchen table while my kids are playing? Sure, I may get interrupted and read the same verse a hundred times but my children see me in the Word.
I recently realized when I tell the kids I'm setting a timer for Bible Study and can play or address non-emergent matters when it goes off I get fewer interruptions. Now, my son literally stood beside me for 15 minutes watching the time but he was quiet and it was effective.
Psalm 42:1 says, "As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, God."
As all living things need water for life, so I need time with my God. The most amazing and humbling thing is our God longs to spend time with us. When was the last time we longed to be with God? For some of us it may be a regular thirst, a longing we struggle to practically quench.For others, we can't remember the last time we eagerly met with the Lord or even desired to. We're so thirsty, sisters. We're all thirsty, whether we know it or not. No matter where we are, He's waiting.
If you're like me, you've been through seasons. You have times where you can't get enough of God's Word and you eagerly meet Him in expectation. Then you may have had a season (you may be here now) where even despite time in the Word, you still feel dry. Thirsty.
Don't give up, sweet friend. Take heart. You're normal. His Word will not return empty. He is faithful. A promise keeper.
Sometimes we need to get creative. Just like caring for our physical health will look different at various seasons of life, so will investing in our spiritual health.
You may be in a season or position where you've got that prayer closet and daily in depth study curriculum with weekly group meetings to recap. That's a blessing! Soak it in. Treasure it.
You may be in a season that looks very different. You may be meditating on one verse daily, listening to a sermon on your way to work (which may take three days to finish). You may even be sitting at the kitchen table with three young children making forts from all the dirty laundry.
Let's give ourselves a little grace. Those three little goobers see you, and they're learning.
Here are a few tips I've found to help me. For those of you in seasons past mine, please feel free to offer your tips of encouragement as well!
1. Reassess expectations. It doesn't always get to be "quiet".
2. Plug in. Accountability is huge here; even if it's informal. Whether you're connected with a regularly scheduled Bible Study group during the week or you have a Polo group with a couple of close friends, being able to discuss certain passages is so helpful.
3. Don't be afraid of commentaries. There are some really amazing authors out there who have great insight to offer as a supplement to our scripture reading. I've found that taking a day to read, study, and pray over a passage myself, then taking another day to pull in a commentary alongside is so eye opening.
4. Remember the purpose. The Lord delights in spending time with us and we are better mothers, better everything, when we take time to meet with Jesus. We can't fully be who He created us to be without Him. You'll be blessed and He'll be glorified.
5.Pray. Before opening your bible pray He'll meet you there. Isn't that what we really want and need? He'll meet you on the sticky floor with a sink full of dishes and a laundry room vomiting dirty clothes while children run circles in your kitchen. He'll even meet you in the interruptions. And that's okay. That's good. Because He's really what we've come for after all.
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