Refresh
Do not discount how much a change of scenery can do for your mental health. I had a quick weekend getaway, and I feel like I can conquer the world. The walls aren’t closing in on me as much. The monotony isn’t too much. The routine is a bit easier to get through. I feel refreshed. What have you done today for your mental health? What would make you feel refreshed? Maybe it’s a walk or a run. Maybe it's spending time in the yard. Take care of yourself. Relax. Relate. Refresh.
Distractions
Magicians utilize distraction to execute their illusions. They make you focus on one thing while their hands or assistant is doing another. Fake news works the same way. The controlled media creates news cycles to divert our attention from the real issues. The enemy does the same thing. We find ourselves caught up in conflict when God wants to deliver us. We find ourselves focused on the storm when God wants us to walk on water. What distractions are you currently facing? What is being deliberately put in your line of sight when you should be paying attention to something else? What are you worrying about when God has already handled? Don’t let these temporary distractions steal your joy. Don't let these uncertain times steal your faith. Don’t let one defeat steal your victory. Distractions are a tool of the enemy to keep you bound.
John 8:36 NKJV Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed
Honour
Exodus 20:12 “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.
I grew up listening to my mother quoting this scripture to me. I often find myself telling my own children the same thing. I realize that through my daily actions of being my mother’s caretaker that I am literally walking her words out. I am living them. I am a walking, talking, example of what this verse looks like daily. It doesn’t mean I don’’t get frustrated. It doesn’t mean I don’t have my moments. It means that I am present. I am doing the work. So, whether I am tired or not…I still have work to do. There are eyes on me. There are eyes on you, too. Do the work. Honor your loved ones. Honor your ancestors. Honor their lives and their memories.
Seek
One of my favorite childhood games was playing hide and seek. As an only child, I typically could not play unless we were visiting one of my mother’s friends or extended family. My friend's daughter likes playing hide and seek, but tends to hide in highly visible locations. I think that most of us don’t like the idea of having to seek anything. We prefere to find things in highly visible locations. We have been conditioned for comfort. We want everything in its designated place in our designated time. Life doesn’t work like that. Usually, we have to wait. We have to pursue. We have to earn. We have to seek. God requires us to seek his face. Love requires us to seek a mate. Dreams require us to seek out opportunities. Destiny requires us to seek out a path. Everything we value requires us to seek. Find comfort in knowing that those who seek, shall find.
Believe
To believe is to accept something as true. If I am completely honest, there a few things I just don’t believe in anymore because my experience says otherwise. I no longer believe in Santa Claus or the Tooth Fairy because I discovered they weren’t real. They were fantasies that my mother perpetuated to keep hope alive. If we’re completely honest, there are people and things we still believe in because of our desire to keep hope alive. Hope is such a strong emotion. It is the substance of faith. It is the foundation for our belief system. Ask yourself, “What do you believe? Who do you believe? Have you given up hope? Why?” For those of you who no longer have faith in people, or even yourself, maybe you should try believing in something bigger than you. Believe that there is more. Believe that trouble don’t last always. Believe it does get better. Believe that things will work out for your benefit. Believe that you are enough. Just believe!
Beyond Limits
Mary J. Blige is like the Aretha of my generation. She has been credited with being the “Queen of Hip Hop Soul.” Her song, Love No Limit debuted in 1993. I was all of eleven and a half years old belting out the lyrics as if I had any clue of what love with no limit really meant. Funny thing is I’m on the verge of being thirty-eight and love still has limitations for some. We love with conditions. We love based on contractual agreements. We love based on arrangements. We love based on feelings. We love based on convenience. However, God’s love is our example of what real love should look like in our lives. God’s love is beyond limits.
Moved
The Book of Psalms references not being moved or shaken. It describes a tree planted by rivers, and God being a rock and salvation. We live in a world that promotes fleeting emotions, and we find ourselves rooted in nothing. Our foundations are unsure because we don’t believe in anything. What was the last thing you felt so strongly about that you could not be moved or shaken? How grounded are you? What do you believe? Are you planted or placed? Is God really your rock and salvation? Be strong and of courage. Don’t be moved.