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Stretch Affirmation 1 – I Take Time to Still Myself
I take time to STILL myself.
Daily Stretch Affirmation No. 1
We live in a world of non-stop motion. During the day, fingers are moving across keyboards creating and sending messages around the world. Cars, buses, trucks, and motorcycles are moving over the countless miles of concrete, asphalt, dirt, and stone that make the roads we travel. People are moving from one meeting to the next. At night, families and individuals are moving from one activity to the next – soccer practice, scouts, grocery shopping, dinner, homework, and the list goes on and on and on. We don’t stop until we collapse in bed at the end of the day hoping to catch a few hours of sleep before we do it all over again the next day.
Wake up. Move. Move. Move. Move. Move. Collapse in bed.
We struggle to be still.
This is not good!
Statistics show that anxiety and anxiety disorders are on the rise. For example, a recent Stastista survey finds that 39% of adults surveyed are more anxious in 2018 than in 2017. Obviously, there could be a number of reasons for these findings, but I would argue that our culture of busyness and constant motion contributes to the anxiety we feel.
If there’s any question that these results are short-sighted, I’d encourage you to think about your own experience. How do you spend your days? How often to you stop? How much time are you moving around (physically or mentally)?
I’ve written about it here before. I struggle with this. I typically get up at 4AM every day. I turn off the light around 10PM every night. And I’m in constant motion between 4AM and 10PM.
It’s not healthy to live this way.
It’s not the way we were meant to live.
There’s a better, more healthy way.
Taking time to still yourself has three benefits that are sure to make your life better.
3 Benefits of Being Still
1. Being still gives you the opportunity for rest, restoration, and relaxation. We need these things. I’ve heard people say they can rest and relax when they die. This may (or may not) be true. I would argue that we need
2. Being still gives you the opportunity to deepen your relationships with others. In our busyness, we typically spend little time going deep with the people in our pathways. We ask people how they are doing, and we become satisfied with their “Good” answer. We’re okay with this answer, because we’re trying to get to the next thing or our brains are occupied with other thoughts.
3. Being still gives you a proper perspective on God. “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth (Psalm 46:10).” When we are in constant motion, we leave little opportunity to connect with God, to contemplate God’s impact on our lives, and to develop an appropriate understanding of God.
Sabbath – Made for Me (and You)
“If you don’t take a Sabbath, something is wrong. You’re doing too much, you’re being too much in charge. You’ve got to quit, one day a week, and just watch what God is doing when you’re not doing anything.”
Eugene H. Peterson
This morning, I’m sitting in Starbucks. I often use this time before church to write, to read, and to observe. I treasure this time as it gives me an opportunity to pause – to collect myself for an hour or two.
Life has been moving at a blistering pace lately. Leanne and I are leading an incredible marriage class at our church. My mastermind group for men is gaining momentum as we get further into the semester. Work has been consuming as we navigate through the performance evaluation process. Last weekend, we visited Grove City College as Isaac moves closer to college. This weekend, Hannah is home for fall break. And I’m in the middle of getting my book ready for release.
In my reading time this morning, I read an article about hustle and balance by my friend, Ellory Wells. In the article, Ellory explains why he is choosing hustle right now. I get it! I’m a hustler for sure. BUT… I’m also convinced we need SABBATH. We need rest from time to time. We need the intentional moments and opportunities to connect with our God, our family, our friends, and even ourselves.
“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” Exodus 20:8-11
My Sunday morning Starbucks time is part of my SABBATH experience.
Today, I’ll go to church; I’ll have lunch with my family before Hannah heads back to Messiah College; I’ll probably take a nap in front of a football game; and I’ll catch my breath.
“The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” Mark 2:27