How to Achieve Renewal for Your Mind, Body, and Soul
Rest and renewal are so crucial to the well-being of your mind, body, and soul. With the current unknowns, it’s easy for your thoughts to run haphazardly through your mind, possibly careening out of control as you head down the road to burn out and exhaustion without a glimpse of a detour.
Whether you’re working from home or commuting, juggling work and family, seeking a job, or you’ve been furloughed, it’s essential to your health that you spend time in rest and renewal to avoid the unavoidable collapse of your wellness.
These are challenging times, indeed. But perhaps, just maybe, this season offers you the opportunity to prioritize your mental, physical, and spiritual well-being. Can you possibly consider this season as a time to make some positive changes in your life? Would you consider changing your perspective from challenging to opportunistic?
What or Who are You Focusing On?
Are you feeling depleted spiritually and physically? Are your thoughts focused on more of what is not working than what is working? Are your fears or discomforts driving you to exhaustion?
What’s influencing your choices? Whatever “it” is, does it have your best interest at heart? Are you trusting “it” to do what is right for you?
As you reflect on these questions, think of how your choices are impacting your life. With the ongoing obligations, you become overcommitted, which leads to a perpetual state of doing. You prioritize and coordinate your to-do lists, calendars, and social commitments at the expense of your mental, physical, and spiritual needs. You postpone your exercise, you limit your time with your family, and you reduce your time for prayer, worship, and Bible study in a feeble attempt to conquer your commitments. Congratulations! You’ve conformed to the patterns of this world!
But wait! Romans 12:2 tells us not to conform to this world’s patterns but be transformed by renewing our mind. Only then will we be able to assess God’s will and know that we are heading in the right direction.
“And do not be conformed to this world [any longer with its superficial values and customs], but be transformed and progressively changed [as you mature spiritually] by the renewing of your mind [focusing on godly values and ethical attitudes], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His plan and purpose for you].” Romans 12:2 AMP
Before scheduling your tasks and projects this week, schedule time for prayer, Bible study, and reflection. Start your day focused on God and allow Him to guide you according to His plan and purpose for your life.
What or Who are You Placing Your Hope In?
We all make decisions that may not be the best choice for us. Sometimes our circumstances do not allow the time needed to contemplate our decisions. This is why prioritizing our schedule to include time for renewal and refreshment is essential to our success. We must take the time to recharge our mind, body, and soul for our health and wellness. And this is of paramount importance for our spiritual journey. Failure to practice self-care creates an environment where we inevitably experience physical, mental, and spiritual exhaustion.
Weariness, anxiety, restlessness, and lack of clarity are warning signs that we are at risk of damaging our well-being if we continue. No judgment here, but life’s current pace is quite rapid and very loud and has many of us off balance. We are tired, we are weary, and we are stumbling. So, how do we gain the strength to persevere? Isaiah 40:30-31 tells us to wait for the Lord, place our hope in Him, and we will gain new strength and renew our power.
“Even youths grow weary and tired, And vigorous young men stumble badly, But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] Will gain new strength and renew their power; They will lift up their wings [and rise up close to God] like eagles [rising toward the sun];
They will run and not become weary, They will walk and not grow tired.” Isaiah 40:30-31 AMP.
Each day, as you prepare your schedule, expect, look for, and place your hope in God. When you trust in the Lord, your mental, physical, and spiritual strength will be renewed.
Restore My Heart
I’m often heard saying, it’s a matter of the heart. I truly believe the majority of our thoughts begins in our heart. The heart is the center of our being. Everything is a heart matter. There’s research proposing that our heart responds to stimuli before our minds. Now, I am not a scientist, nor do I spend much time researching the body, but I can tell you that in Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, the brain is not mentioned once while the heart is cited 826 times.
I find it more interesting that the heart functions as a muscle and the definition of muscle is strength and physical power. Think of the power your heart reigns over your consciousness. It’s the center of our consciousness and the center of our spiritual, physical, and mental activity. I hope you’re beginning to understand the importance of restoring your heart to increase your wellness – mind, body, and soul. It’s never too late to seek restoration.
Holman’s Study Bible for Women, Psalm 51:10-12, David seeks God for full restoration, asking God to create in him a clean heart. David knew the heart was the center for decision making. David prayed to God, asking his Lord to rebuild his character from the inside out. David knew it was a matter of the heart, and my friend, I hope you realize this as well.
Are you caught in this circle of exhaustion? If you are, I encourage you to stop, drop, and pray. Place your hope in God, focus on His promises, and allow His word to restore you.
This month let’s join together as we seek God for the restoration of our hearts. Let’s take time in this unusual season to seek opportunities to grow and serve. Let’s use this season for God’s glory as we earnestly renew our mind, body, and soul. Won’t you join me?
“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right and steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and sustain me with a willing spirit.” Psalm 51:10-12 AMP
