Oh No, Mr. Rat-Race!
Today, WORTH is the topic for my devotional. Actually, today is titled "Believe you are loved."
It starts off saying, "In every day and decade, we need to be reminded that we are more than enough." The author communicates how we can start working hard to have it all and be it all to make ourselves worthy to be loved.
Hello. I totally am re-reading that...
The author proceeds to make a soul-shaking point that speared truth briskly into my being- "If it becomes our everything, above communion with Jesus, we have a serious problem on our hands... 1 John 4:10 tells us, 'This is love. Not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.'"
This reminds me that love is both passive and active. However, I tend to boil love down to just being active. Do this, do that... constantly working hard to show that I care by going out of my way to serve God or others that I sometimes- and quite frequently of late- don't stop to receive and enjoy the love back. Granted, that said love isn't always manifested in the way I want or expect it to manifest, but it's there!
And I know that sometimes, I just rush around, looking busy and I push that slower pace and "just be loved" space out of my fast-paced life. If I'm honest, the racing around can be lonely. But I convince myself that if I just distract myself long enough, I won't have to feel and deal with the lonely.
If I can take this honesty a daring step further, I know if I simply took a day- or even an hour or two- to soak up God's abundant love, to let my cup overflow, it would empower me and add to my life immeasurably. It would be a refreshing dip into uninterrupted love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. But the thought of letting my list of "things to get done" pile up for the single day or measly 1-2 hours strikes me with paralyzing anxiousness!
How could I not do the laundry & dishes & sweep the floors & meal prep & deep clean the bathrooms & catch up on emails & make sure my friends are okay & call my family & go to work & apply for scholarships & plan so-and-so's birthday & finish that almost overdue library book & get my car's oil change & map my route to drive 2,000+ miles to school in a month, etc., etc., etc.
So the rat race pressures and constricts me, and yes, I've been allowing it to come before and dictate my time and communion with Jesus. Because Mr. Rat Race convinced me that Jesus takes too much of my time to get the ever-important demands done in time. And goodness, we sure couldn't have that! Right??? All those people we couldn't bear to let down so we shove ourself and our needs (which we assume that since we are super-woman we can live without those "needs" and can just power through) to get everyone else to their happy place.
So there. That is truthfully where my head has been these past two weeks. Maybe you've been here. With all that mumbo-jumbo fogging up my headspace, reading that sentence from my devotional about letting anything come before communion with Christ blew into my dusty, neglected spirit like an open window's gust of fresh air.
Holy Spirit, blow fresh winds into me.
I am finally going to take some time and make space to feel loved today. To each of us, creating a time or place to feel safe enough to receive God's love without interruption can look different. For me today, I think it might look like going for a nature walk or sitting outside with a cup of tea (maybe some sweet tea- it's summer, right?!?!!).
Even just sitting here, writing this evokes my senses to love and be loved. I can almost feel God's arms wrapped around my shoulders as I type, looking over my head, smiling proudly and lovingly at the page as I share my heart in obedience.
Today, I will sit back for a few moments and just receive your love, O God.
here are a couple of extra verses to look up! : Romans 8:35,38-39; John 15:9.
XO,
Mel
It starts off saying, "In every day and decade, we need to be reminded that we are more than enough." The author communicates how we can start working hard to have it all and be it all to make ourselves worthy to be loved.
Hello. I totally am re-reading that...
The author proceeds to make a soul-shaking point that speared truth briskly into my being- "If it becomes our everything, above communion with Jesus, we have a serious problem on our hands... 1 John 4:10 tells us, 'This is love. Not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.'"
This reminds me that love is both passive and active. However, I tend to boil love down to just being active. Do this, do that... constantly working hard to show that I care by going out of my way to serve God or others that I sometimes- and quite frequently of late- don't stop to receive and enjoy the love back. Granted, that said love isn't always manifested in the way I want or expect it to manifest, but it's there!
And I know that sometimes, I just rush around, looking busy and I push that slower pace and "just be loved" space out of my fast-paced life. If I'm honest, the racing around can be lonely. But I convince myself that if I just distract myself long enough, I won't have to feel and deal with the lonely.
If I can take this honesty a daring step further, I know if I simply took a day- or even an hour or two- to soak up God's abundant love, to let my cup overflow, it would empower me and add to my life immeasurably. It would be a refreshing dip into uninterrupted love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. But the thought of letting my list of "things to get done" pile up for the single day or measly 1-2 hours strikes me with paralyzing anxiousness!
How could I not do the laundry & dishes & sweep the floors & meal prep & deep clean the bathrooms & catch up on emails & make sure my friends are okay & call my family & go to work & apply for scholarships & plan so-and-so's birthday & finish that almost overdue library book & get my car's oil change & map my route to drive 2,000+ miles to school in a month, etc., etc., etc.
So the rat race pressures and constricts me, and yes, I've been allowing it to come before and dictate my time and communion with Jesus. Because Mr. Rat Race convinced me that Jesus takes too much of my time to get the ever-important demands done in time. And goodness, we sure couldn't have that! Right??? All those people we couldn't bear to let down so we shove ourself and our needs (which we assume that since we are super-woman we can live without those "needs" and can just power through) to get everyone else to their happy place.
So there. That is truthfully where my head has been these past two weeks. Maybe you've been here. With all that mumbo-jumbo fogging up my headspace, reading that sentence from my devotional about letting anything come before communion with Christ blew into my dusty, neglected spirit like an open window's gust of fresh air.
Holy Spirit, blow fresh winds into me.
I am finally going to take some time and make space to feel loved today. To each of us, creating a time or place to feel safe enough to receive God's love without interruption can look different. For me today, I think it might look like going for a nature walk or sitting outside with a cup of tea (maybe some sweet tea- it's summer, right?!?!!).
Even just sitting here, writing this evokes my senses to love and be loved. I can almost feel God's arms wrapped around my shoulders as I type, looking over my head, smiling proudly and lovingly at the page as I share my heart in obedience.
Today, I will sit back for a few moments and just receive your love, O God.
here are a couple of extra verses to look up! : Romans 8:35,38-39; John 15:9.
XO,
Mel
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