Tag Archives: busy

Becoming a Deep Real Authentic Woman of God Part 5

BECOMING A DEEP REAL AUTHENTIC WOMAN OF GOD Part 5

     [From Part 4] The fears that we have developed through our past experiences have not only given way to how we view our present (our perspective), it also plays a large role in the priorities we set in our lives today. 

     This leads us to our fourth and final barrier to relationships and becoming a Deep Real Authentic Woman of God. 

Priorities.

     We live in a world of busyness being a priority and something to strive for.  In God’s economy, he’s first, then our spouse and family. Our job and ministry come after that.  He also commands that we take a Sabbath rest from all the things that tax our ability to put him first.  I am not speaking just to you, I need this message as well.  

     This is an area where we see the enemy at work.  Satan strives to keep us busy and overloaded in our lives and our schedules, pushing ourselves beyond our limits. Feeling that we just can’t say ‘no’ to whatever is asked of us.  Not that I want to give the enemy any more air time than I already have, however, I believe this quote from “Fervent” speaks volumes about priorities.  

     “If I were your enemy, I’d make everything seem urgent, as if it’s all yours to handle.  I’d bog down your calendar with so many expectations you couldn’t tell the differences between what’s important and what’s not.  Going and doing, guilty for ever saying no, trying to control it all, but just being controlled by it all instead…  If I could keep you busy enough, you’d be too overwhelmed to even realize how much work you’re actually saving me.” 

     A friend recently shared with me that busy stands for ‘Being Under Satan’s Yoke.” Now that’s eye-opening. The way we keep ourselves bizzy bizzy bizzy, gives a resemblance to the mindset of God’s people as slaves in Egypt.  They just worked all day every day, with no rest, no Sabbath as commanded by God. 

Deuteronomy 5:15  (NIV)
“Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day.”

     The Israelites were forced by the pharaoh’s men to work seven days a week, what’s forcing us to keep up a slave’s pace?

     A full schedule with no rhythm of rest and margin for time with God will leave a daughter of Abba attempting to run on an empty tank, wondering where the day went as she lay her head on the pillow each night.  Where do these habits and routines come from?  Maybe from watching our own moms or grandmas. Maybe from caving into the cultural expectations. Maybe lies we believed from our childhood led to beliefs about what we had to do and be in order to be accepted, loved, and/or belong. Or just maybe, we run ourselves ragged because we have unreasonable expectations for ourselves.  Whatever the reason for our distorted priorities, we can turn them around with our chosen priorities each new day and a reliance on Holy Spirit?

In Part 6 we’ll put it all together and look at ways to tear down these barriers to becoming a Deep Real Authentic Woman of God.

#BreakingBarriers#Reconnection
Contact me at soulcarecoach.amy@gmail.com to discuss new priorities you’d like to put in place in your life or to place an order for my new book “Wilderness Journey Living journal”. It’s a guided journal for women that leads you through eight weeks of Taking Steps Toward God through a variety of journaling styles.

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Heavy Burdens

During a recent ice storm, I was driving down several roads where I had to dodge low hanging tree limbs that were completely weighed down by the layers of ice that had accumulated because of hours of freezing rain with cold temperatures. There was also one road that I traveled where I was met with a tree that had fallen blocking the entire road. The tree had been a fresh casualty of the heavy burden of the ice because it had not been in the road a couple hours prior. I traveled down many roads where I saw much of the same scene; limbs so loaded down with ice that they were nearly dragging the ground, large tree branches and whole trees that had split, or even fallen down from the weight of the accumulated ice. As I saw road after road of the same thing, it began to occur to me how this is a stark visual of how many of us tend to live many; if not all, the days of our lives. We tend to take on so many responsibilities or jobs or tasks; whatever is our ‘thing,’ and then when we are dragging; or even snapping in two from the weight, we wonder why. We tend to believe that we can grab an instant energy ‘whatever’ and keep going to the next thing. This may seem to work for a time; however, what tends to result is the weight of our burdens taking us down to exhaustion, physical illness, or depression. When the ice gets too heavy for the trees or the power lines, they collapse under the weight; this causes power outages, internet loss, and the list goes on. Human beings are similar to this; we can only take so much weight, whether it be from burdens, responsibilities, you name it, and then we collapse under the weight.

I am not trying to guilt anyone; including myself, because I tend to take on more than my humanness can manage. Seeing all the hanging and broken trees, was an eye-opener for me. God knows that He created me to be a visual person and visuals like the ice-ladened trees and power lines, was a great reminder to myself what happens to anyone or anything that takes on more than they were created to handle. I was reminded of a passage from Matthew (chapter 11, verses 28-30)  “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” I am so grateful for a God that knows well my limitations and has provided a Savior who is willing to take my heavy burdens and exchange them for His that are so much lighter and life-giving. May you choose to release your heavy burdens to the One who has the strength to carry them and allow His rest to give you the energy that you need to carry on with the path that God has laid out before you.

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