New Year, Re-New You

You know we as women often wear many hats and we oftentimes find ourselves multitasking in order to attempt to get everything done on our "got" to do list. With so much to do, it is very hard to make sure that we’re taking care of ourselves. Let’s face it, by the end of the day we’re too tuckered out to do any self-care. All we can do is just fall into bed for a couple of hours sleep and then is back up to do the same routine all over again. All the demands can be stressful and lead to burnout.

A couple of times a year (usually in the spring and fall) I do a deep cleaning of my house. This includes but is not limited to getting rid of things, shoes, clothing that haven’t been used or worn in the last year, cleaning baseboards, removing cobwebs, a good dusting, etc., you know; a refreshing and renewing of the house. And just like our house requires that extra attention every so often, so does our spirit, soul, and body. Why? Because life gets in and can cause blockages, cobwebs, and dust buildup. Along with victories, we have gone through and survived defeat, struggles, sufferings, and loss. All the more reason for us to take the time to care for ourselves so that these cares don’t overtake us.

Sometimes we have to go a little deeper than the normal routine of 5 min. prayer on the go, weekly devotion instead of daily bible study and meditation on the word, and the weekly praise and worship at church on Sunday morning instead of daily offering praise and worship to the Lord.

It is our responsibility to make sure our relationship with (love of) ourselves is in order-meaning we are in agreement with God on everything He says about us mind, body, and spirit. When our minds, wills, and emotions line up with God’s will, we can operate out of a balanced life. When we love ourselves (thankful for what God made, how he made us fearfully and wonderfully-Psalm 139:14), we take care of ourselves and when we take care of ourselves, we can take care of and love others. I read a quote online on quoteambition.com that says (words in bold italics are mine) “Eat like you love yourself-healthy, Move like you love yourself –forward, Speak like you love yourself – positively, Act like you love yourself – positive attitude.” We can be the hands and feet of Jesus without stressing about it. We won't find ourselves saying I've got to go serve but instead we will say I get to go serve. We can lose the attitudes that sneak up on us, we can offer kind words and hugs to those that we come in contact with. We can lead a stress-free (negative stress) life when we renew our minds and spirits and take everything to the Lord in prayer.

Starting out the New Year doing some soul searching and heart checking is a good way to jump start the year. We should ask the Lord to search us (Psalm 139:23-24) and create in us a clean heart and renew a right spirit within us (Psalm 51:10), and commit to more time in prayer, study and meditation in the word, and daily praise and worship of the Lord. We should also commit to taking care of our physical bodies by exercising (which I recommitted to this year), eating right and getting a good night's sleep. We honor God when we take care of ourselves (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Implementing these disciplines can help us jumpstart our year renewed, refreshed, and restored in Jesus and will put us in a position to cultivate existing relationships and start new relationships. We are responsible for ensuring our own spiritual, physical, and emotional health." Teach us Lord to do your will (so that we may please you), For you are our God: Let Your good Spirit lead us on level ground." Psalms 143:10. May the Holy Spirit be our guide as we seek renewal for ourselves as we continually pursue God's will this year.!