Let’s be honest; We should be a bit more willing to take a break from our hectic and anxious lives, to reflect on the things we’re doing or going through. It shouldn’t be only when things are going bad we stop to worry or find a quick fix. We should all learn to take some time to reflect on our own lives when things are going well.
A little secret: if you only stop and think and worry when things go wrong, you may only see problems even if the solution is right in front of you. The good days have as much to teach us as the bad days.
There’s a good chance that you haven’t even thought about pausing for a long time. Plans to keep up with, goals to accomplish, tasks to complete, fun to be had, that place to be – life can become hectic and overwhelming. But when we take regular breaks to reflect on how things are going, we give our minds a chance to inventory our doings.
For my readers, Proverbs 16:3 tells us that if we ‘submit our works to the Lord, He will establish our thoughts for us’. I’ve proved it and that is why I’m writing about it. That doesn’t mean that we should only turn to God to get stuff. It is a wonderful thing to know the Lord and to learn from Him. It’s better to turn to the Lord to believe in Him, get to know His word, and so know the Lord for yourself. But Jesus did says he came so we could ‘have abundant life if we believe in him’. That also means we can have an abundant life if we are willing to put in the work.
Life is tough. It takes a lot to make it daily, even if we do not have any ambition of being money-wealthy; kids, bills, life, too many requests, and responsibilities, can make us feel rushed or anxious.
An important thing to remember about getting things done is, that there’s a good chance we can’t be of help to anyone if we’re not in a good place. In Mark 6:30, after the disciples had gone out to preach to the Israelites about the kingdom of heaven, Jesus told them to “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest”. And also to everyone, he says, “Come to me all you who labor and I will give you rest”. With a little study and willingness to understand, we see that Jesus was teaching us that we do need to take a break from life sometimes.
These breaks allow us to breathe and recover, but also to reflect and meditate on the life we are living and how we’re living it. For those who take the time to learn from the Lord, we also receive guidance from him. My gift of a reflective soul was how I was taught the meaning of one of the greatest assurances in scripture; “in quietness and trust is your strength”. It is good to get things done for sure; it is better to be willing to take time to sit and reflect on your doing and talk to God. It allows us to receive from the word of God, the strength to deal with life when hectic happens.
When we live a life that doesn’t seem to let up, we can learn to master the demands of that life and alleviate the stresses in the peace of Jesus. The Lord did say, “In repentance and rest is your salvation”. While this article is not about our salvation, which is taken care of. We can learn to take moments to meditate and find our center. I find my strength in Jesus and my rest in the solitude of his presence. Those moments give me time to feel my breath and get refreshed to get up and go again.
Finding moments to reflect can lead to significant breakthroughs and even eliminate stress and anxiety. For those looking for a break, it can be a moment to reconnect with the Lord, to learn from him how to live right. We are not simply given life to do, and do, and do, to follow rule upon rule. We are given life to praise the Lord and commune with Him and to give him glory so that others can come to know what true freedom and life are. We are given life as a celebration of God.
There is no better abundance than being in the presence of Jesus. I advocate for reflection and slowdowns where we can get a minute to consider and think. This is where we truly get to reflect on the life we’ve been given. In reflection, your salvation wrapped in the hands of Jesus can make sense, if you’re still struggling to understand your life and everything in it. Your freedom from the activities of life can be found in moments of reflection.
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