Despite all the hype about planning for a successful new year with all its potential, it can be easy to slip into a funk after the holidays. Maybe your Christmas was so busy you feel like collapsing. Or maybe your Christmas wasn’t very merry this year. Maybe you were alone, or in relationships that are filled with strife. Maybe you lost a dearly loved spouse this year, or your health, or your job, or your church. Or maybe you’ve just lost your mojo. Did you know that the Bible has lots of help for us this time of year? Here are some questions I ask myself when I’m feeling unmotivated and drifting; when I catch myself wasting time on worthless things trying fill up my empty cup.
~ What have I been thinking about today?
Just the mundane things of everyday life- how to get my to-do list done, what to cook for supper, or how to make the paycheck last all month? Or have I been feeding my soul on the rich food of Scripture? Enough that I have thoughts to ponder throughout the day? Have I had spiritual conversations with other believers that lift them and me up above the chaos? Have I applied my brain to learning from mature teachers of the faith? In short, have I set my heart on seeking Jesus?
We can surf the internet aimlessly or we can take time to read uplifting teaching about the Bible online from trusted sources. I’m not saying that all surfing is wrong. There are lots of interesting facts about our world, people to keep in touch with, and we do need time to unwind. But we have to make sure surfing isn’t taking the place of meaningful things. We need time to jot down our meditations so they gel in our minds and we can grow in faith and knowledge. Writing down verses that resonated with us during our daily Bible reading is one way to commit them to memory, ready when we need them.
~ Who can I serve today?
Getting my focus off myself and caring for others shifts everything. Even the nitty-gritty of laundry, cooking, and cleaning with a cheerful, grateful heart knowing it benefits my loved ones takes the drudgery away. I need to get back to more regular hospitality because when I invite others into our home to love on them, I get big rewards. The best conversations happen at the table! When in-person time together isn’t possible, the phone brings us together. I know dear Husband and I are uplifted so often by calls and texts from our adult kids and grandkids so Husband is careful to call his parents. A very important way we can serve others is by praying for them. If we have been a good listener, we have plenty to pray about! Giving a portion of our money back to God to help others all over the world is another service that brings satisfaction.
~ Do I need a reset? Am I too fatigued to be productive?
God knows that we regularly need a reset. We need physical rest and community to flourish. In the Old Testament, he set up a national structure that allowed one day a week to break the work routine and allow for getting together for worship and also for rest.
“There are six days when you may work, but the seventh day is a day of sabbath rest, a day of sacred assembly. You are not to do any work; wherever you live, it is a sabbath to the Lord.” Leviticus 23:3
And even that wasn’t enough. He mandated attendance at three big gatherings a year at the Temple in Jerusalem. There was grace for women and children who might find it hard to travel from far away, but every man was required to – get this! Stop working, worship, and party! Of course, the women and children who were already living near Jerusalem would’ve attended and those who could come from long distances. That’s right. God mandated festivals/ feasts/ parties! Two of the required three festivals were week-long feasts. God knew we needed to get off the hamster wheel and reset by getting together for the enjoyment of corporate worship, eating together, and taking a break from the usual.
Our ignore-God society makes it harder for us to take a break. There are so many voices demanding our attention all week long. But it’s of paramount importance that we break the chains long enough to gather together for worship, teaching, music, and fellowship every week. Breaking free from work obligations, even sports, long enough to meet together is a necessary reset and refreshment. I know not everyone can get to church on Sunday morning, but you can find a church that meets when your work schedule allows. And let’s not forget the necessity of stepping away from our work on a regular basis. Hint: this takes a little planning. Then there are the week long breaks from our normal schedules that God planned for his people. Again, this isn’t a matter of salvation, but wouldn’t we be better off if we followed this idea of a week off for resting and gathering twice a year? Maybe even getting away from home with loved ones? Maybe the old-fashioned camp meetings weren’t so far off? Or family camps in our day.
~Have I bothered to be grateful today?
Gratitude lifts my heart to God, recognizing him as the Source of good things. Praise is another word for giving God credit. You might even say that we complement God in the pure sense on his work. My poor little, raised-in-the-Bible-belt, conservative soul still sometimes cringes when I hear a praise that sounds irreverent, i.e. too familiar with God. But if the thanks is sent Godward from a sincere heart, I think the Mighty One stoops to listen. Here is a case in point. Even though it happened 15 years ago, I still remember a friend telling me her experience that week. She had just started up a steep mountain trail. Coming down the trail toward her was a group of handicapped young adults with their leader. As they passed her, she heard several of them repeating, “Good job, God!” My friend was moved by their praise to God acknowledging that it was He who brought them up and back safely despite their mental and/or physical challenges. My first reaction was, “Should they talk to God like that?” After some thought, I decided that they spoke it from sincere hearts and they didn’t have to conform to my standards of appropriate approaches to God.
~Have I prayed for help with my attitude?
God wants to lift us out of our slumps. Not that we should ignore/deny our shadows, but that we invite him to shine his welcome light into them. Admitting our need for God’s help honors him and puts our focus on him. We can wholeheartedly thank him for being a faithful, loving God even when we don’t feel wholehearted about other things.
Thoughts
Service
Rest and Gathering
Gratitude
Prayer
For further Reading:
Three festivals were required for attendance at the Temple in Jerusalem: Spring, Summer, Fall
Passover at twilight, followed the next day by the Festival of Unleavened bread for seven days- 2 days first and last for assembling and no work, five days of sacrificing food and eating part of it.
Shavuot – Festival of Weeks (Pentecost). One day, many sacrifices
Sukkot- Festival of Shelters- seven days- first and last assembling and no work. Living in shelters made of branches, totally breaking the normal routine. (Camping out in the back yard!)