Thursday, April 23, 2015

Are You Running On Empty?


The new message series at my church is called "Running on Empty". So far, our Youth Pastor taught a week ago about taking a Sabbath. Boy, did that step on my toes. I know how busy I am, but I haven't even been thinking about resting like I should until his message. Because of that message, last weekend, I rented a bunch of movies, left the house a mess, and rested.

This past Sunday, our Pastor spoke on healthy boundaries. As Christians, we want to help people. However, we can end up getting involved in so much stuff and so many people's lives. Then, we feel guilty for saying no, but we shouldn't. Sometimes you need to say no for your own well being. You don't even have to give an explanation. 

Jesus went away from others regularly to pray.

He got ALONE with the Father.

If Jesus, who was both human and Spirit, needed time alone with God.. you better bet we do too.

Do you have a regular prayer time?

If you don't, it's ok. Start small. Say a little prayer before you get out of bed each morning.

As a new mom, I would hear things at church and feel guilty. I didn't have 4 hours a day to pray. I wish then that someone would have come along side of me and told me that I could pray while washing dishes, vacuuming and changing diapers. I had no idea! The way it was described, I thought I had to literally sit down somewhere for four hours and pray.

Sitting down and devoting a specific time for prayer is awesome and we should do that as often as possible, but praying/ talking to God, can be anywhere, anytime. It's a relationship. And He's always there.

In order to keep yourself from running on empty, try these four things:
1. Know your limits.  Don't over extend yourself. Rest. Jesus got tired, hungry and thirsty just like we do.

2. Listen to your heart. If you are feeling uncomfortable, there is a reason.

3. Be direct. You can say "I can't." or "No." without any other explanation. Or if you want to give a reason, do so. Just be direct and honest.

4. Give yourself permission. Allow yourself to say no. Allow yourself to rest. Allow the quiet time with God that you need. Watch out for fear, guilt and self doubt. Those are pitfalls you don't need to fall into. My Pastor said, "Others urgency can not be our emergency." I thought that was cool.

Boundaries are about respect. Use them and stay fueled up!

No comments:

Post a Comment