Monday, March 24
Prioritize What Fills Your Soul
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. – Romans 12:2
I can think of many things in my life that are full to the brim: my calendar, my to-do list, my dirty clothes basket, my mind as I’m trying to fall asleep at night. At this stage in my life, I am never at a loss for places to go or things to do. In our society it is easy to overfill your life with work, parenting and personal things and still feel like you aren’t doing enough. Am I volunteering enough? Should I have my child in music lessons? Am I pulling my weight at work?
But I don’t think that is the “full to the brim” we are going for here. I often find that the more full my schedule, the emptier I feel. My star word this year is “wise” and I have been trying to apply that to how I spend my time. What brings me joy? What sucks up my time? Is there anything I should be doing that I’m not? Based on my answers I have made some changes. For me this has looked like cutting down on social media, checking out more physical books from the library, prioritizing getting to choir practice, and adding stretching and meditation before bed. These small changes have had a monumental impact on how “full” I feel. I’m spending time learning new things, feeding my soul with music, strengthening my body, and sitting quietly with God. The old adage, “You can’t pour from an empty cup” has also proven to be true. Now that I am consciously working to fill my cup, I have more to give: more patience, more love, more focus.
It is so easy to get swept up into what society tells us we should do, or what we have always done. I urge you to take some time to evaluate your day-to-day. What fills you up? What depletes you? What shifts can you make toward the “renewing of your mind”? And finally, don’t beat yourself up if your reality right now tends more toward a full calendar, and less toward a full soul. I’ve only been doing this a month, and who knows where I’ll be in my journey when you are reading this. It’s just one day at a time.
Dear Lord, Please help me cut through the noise of my day-to-day life to find and prioritize what fills my soul. Amen
Molly Means