Do you struggle to find soul rest? I know I do.
Maybe it’s because you find yourself in one of these scenarios!
You drive past a neighbor’s perfectly manicured lawn and groan as you remember your own knee-length grass and unruly hydrangea bushes. Or you see your friend joyfully announce her promotion on Instagram and can’t help but think of your own seemingly dead-end job. You find yourself comparing.
You push yourself harder, yet seem to make little progress. Even with please-the-boss-at-all-costs hours at the job, push-it-to-the-limit workouts at the gym, and can’t-let-anything-slide task lists at home, you feel like you keep falling behind. You find yourself striving.
Toys litter every square foot of the family room. Two of your kids need help with their homework. The spaghetti sauce boils over on the stove. Your husband texts that he’s stuck in traffic. You find yourself stressing out.
Your boss points out a serious flaw on the report you turned in yesterday. The cookies you bake to impress the bake sale coordinators look like black clods of dirt on the baking sheet. You don’t achieve that bigger profit margin you anticipated this month. Impatient words fly out of your mouth in the direction of your children—again. You find yourself feeling like a failure.
Life is hectic. Unpredictable. Draining. Sometimes even soul-crushing. How can we find soul rest in the middle of our messy lives?
Maybe what we all need is a little more grace—in five-minute portions.
Grace in Bite-Size Portions
As a Bible teacher, I encourage everyone to have time with God in His Word every day. We always benefit from hiding God’s Word in our hearts, and spending time in prayer. But we all go through seasons where we can’t spend the time we want to in the spiritual disciplines.
Perhaps you love spending time in God’s Word, participating in a small group Bible study, and writing in a prayer journal. But right now you barely have time to comb your hair in the morning and grab a piece of toast on your way out the door. Taking care of your soul feels like one more thing you’re failing at.
Or maybe your life does allow you to have a devotional time each day, yet right now it simply seems like another item on your to-do list instead of a life-giving practice. Even though you open your Bible in the morning, you still find yourself drenched in stress during the day.
When we find ourselves overwhelmed with stress and striving, perhaps we can find grace in bite-size chunks.
That’s why I wrote a little ebook that offers five-minute soul rest practices for when you find yourself comparing, striving, stressing out, or generally feeling like a failure. Think of these suggestions as small ways to reconnect with the God who created you, gifted you, and longs to renew your soul.
Here’s a sample of what you will find:
for when you find yourself comparing…
Meditate on Galatians 6:4. Slowly read, “But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor.” God encourages us to look at our own work and not compare it to others. Spend five minutes writing down the big and small ways you have obeyed God’s call on your life in the last week in your job and in your home.
for when you find yourself striving…
Let go as you empty out your purse (or wallet). Read Matthew 11:28: “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” As you unpack all the things you’ve been physically carrying around, think about what less tangible items have been weighing down your soul. Give each worry and concern to God. Trust Him to take care of them.
for when you find yourself stressing out…
Slow down. Proverbs 19:2 warns against the danger of hurry, “Desire without knowledge is not good, and whoever makes haste with his feet misses his way.” When we feel stressed, we often operate at the fastest speed possible in order to get everything done. But that can lead to more tension, anxiety, and even mistakes. So for your next task, slow down and for the next few minutes practice being present. If you’re at work, truly pay attention to the person you’re talking with. If you’re chopping vegetables for dinner, notice the colors and textures God created. If you’re folding laundry, thank the Father for providing clothes and the person who wears each item. Staying in the moment can change your perspective and lower your stress.
for when you find yourself feeling like a failure…
Meditate on God’s definition of success. Success in our world looks like big and important. So when we feel small and insignificant, we may feel like a failure. Matthew 20:26-27 says, “Whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave.” Success in God’s kingdom looks like humility and service.
I encourage you to read through the menu of ideas and mark the ones that sound intriguing. Experiment with one or two each day. Use the practices to allow God to recalibrate your spirit. Find a little more grace—in five-minute portions.
Click the button below to get the FREE ebook and find soul-rest in five-minute portions.