Settling Yourself in Restless Times

You know, oftentimes when our weeks become long and hard with work, family obligations, or special priorities, our lives can feel so bogged down. We can easily slip into this mode of "what now?"

I remember when I was working on my undergrad and taking on 15 credits that semester (for those of you who don't know, music courses are often .5, 1.0, and 2.0 credits...at least at MSU, so I would often be in classes 25-30 hrs./week), I was also leading worship services and had about 12 hours of private music students to teach. Having my fiance at the time, also, I wanted to be able to spend time with her but due to my obligations, I rarely saw her.

I started to become bitter. Although my work at the church and the private lessons were blessings from God and things that I would regularly enjoy, I often loathed the fact that I needed to take my valuable time away from things I wanted to do and concentrate on things that were starting to take their toll on my attitude and mentality. I started to think about things I would rather be doing.

If you are reading this and are at that place where the things you once loved just are not making you feel special anymore, there's a verse that may help you:

Psalm 42:5-6 Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. My soul is downcast within me; therefore I will remember you from the land of the Jordan, the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar.

See, Korahites (the auther of this Psalm) was reminding himself of the blessings God has provided for the Hebrew people. What I needed to do was recognize that these things that bothered me really are not a hindrance; I needed to remember what they were really...blessings.

Now, maybe you're stuck in a job you don't like but God has you there anyway. Find small ways to contribute to His kingdom; witness to a coworker, run an errand for someone...do something nice you may not normally do. Then, and only then, can you start to enjoy being in the place God has you serving right now.

I've become much better about time management now. I'm not driving myself crazy with work needed to be done. I've slowed down because I realized my lifestyle was not a healthy one. I now spend time with Cayla and Grace much more and my work is what it should've been in the first place: a joy.

God bless!