Day 1: Avoid Emotional Burnout
The demands of life can be relentless. Each new day brings new challenges – finances, job insecurities, health concerns, family issues and personal problems, to name a few. How do we deal with the merry-go-round of life, trying to juggle several balls at once and still keep our feet on firm ground?
One thing that contributes to greater instability is holding on to the negative emotional baggage that often comes with life’s toils. Worry, anxiety and sadness deplete the soul of necessary vital resources that keep it energised and sustained. You need to avoid that emotional burnout!
Casting your burdens on the Lord and leaving them there is the best way to rid yourself of each day’s trials. Everything that concerns you is a concern to God – he’s not too busy to want to help solve the small issues in your life.
Day 2: Listen to Your Body
If there’s one voice that often gets squeezed out in the everyday journey of life, it’s the voice of our own bodies. Our body speaks to us all the time about how it’s feeling. Often we ignore that advice. When we push ourselves with overwork, overeating or anything that is in excess, our body screams for our attention: ‘I’m tired – I need some rest!’, ‘My eyes are straining from being glued too long to that screen’, ‘I’m feeling dehydrated – I need some water!’
If we were to just take time to listen to our bodies, how much better we would feel on a daily basis! Our bodies would respond by saying ‘Thank you for listening to me’ and give us a much-needed feel-good factor. Respect your body and it will respect you!
Day 3: Take Joy in Simplicity
We overcomplicate things in life. Running ahead of ourselves to reach a deadline or rushing to get somewhere on time means we lose out on so many simple things along the journey. Pace yourself. Give yourself room to pause and breathe. When you slow down you will start to notice things that have always been there. There are awesome, life-inspiring moments that occur almost every day, but we need to take time to notice them. So bring calm to your soul by appreciating those simple works of nature. Be inspired! Let nature speak to you of a God who is the perfect creator.
Day 4: Let God Handle It
You can’t do everything! Some things demand the expertise of a specialist. You may be able to solve some tasks, but you will always face impossible situations in life where you have no clue or idea how you will get through. Sometimes in those situations you may turn to God as the last resort, but don’t leave him to the last minute when all the other doors have closed. Seek him first in every situation big or small – there’s nothing he can’t handle. If you allow him to handle the little things, you may find his method prevents anything becoming bigger.
Day 5: Be Anxious for Nothing
Contemplating nagging thoughts will wear you down. It draws more energy than you can imagine. The emotional and mental trauma of worry can deplete you of your natural resources. That’s why the art of thought transfer is important. It’s not that difficult. When a worrying thought enters your mind, counteract it with one of your favourite Bible promises. Over time an association develops with that worrying thought and you can be assured it will soon diminish in its influence and effects.
Day 6: Trust Him Implicitly
What is the evidence that you are in the mode of trusting God? Simply put, you will have a sense of calm over you! You won’t be limited in doing daily tasks like concentrating on your work, resting and eating meals. It’s a beautiful feeling to experience, knowing that God will take care of the situation.
Day 7: Breathe Slowly
Nervous reactions can run riot over your body. However, you don’t have to be incapacitated by these impulsive reactions. Clear your mind by taking long, deep breaths. Exhale your tensions away and inhale calm. Take a deep breath and exhale tension, now inhale calm. Do this several times, like breathing in deep fresh air on a new morning. You will find the body will follow suit by slowing down. You can dictate the pace!
Day 8: Bask in the Sunshine
In the cold and dark days of the late autumn and winter months, our only desire is to get home and stay inside. However, while we are warm and snug at home, we are missing vital nutrients that can only be obtained through natural sunlight. We may not feel the warmth of the sun in cold seasons, but the rays of the sun when they do peek out still have remedial benefits. Find a way to catch this healing balm of sunlight!
Day 9: Claim Christ’s Forgiveness
When Christ was dying on the cross his only thought was of you and me. He died to save humanity from the impending effects of sin by taking our place. For that sacrifice to be complete, we had to be forgiven from our sins. That’s what Christ managed to do – even as he was dying he was interceding for us. When you consider all Christ did for you, all he wants in return is for you to accept that forgiveness. That means believing all your past sins are no longer on your head!
Day 10: Release Control
We like to be in control. It’s a safety buffer that’s inbuilt within us to ensure we survive. While it may be necessary for us to protect ourselves from harm or danger through this inbuilt mechanism, it sometimes extends to other areas of our lives and inhibits us from trying new things or coming out of our comfort zones. We then become too overprotective. Being open and vulnerable with God is relinquishing that control, letting God have free access and allowing him to take the steering wheel of your life.
Day 11: You Can’t Do Everything
There’s something about wanting to please other people that makes us go above and beyond our capabilities. Yes, it’s a good thing to help others, but we have to know our limits. When we take on something that’s too demanding, what is the real motive? Is it to seek recognition or credit for the task? Sometimes it’s better to support that person by directing them to the God of all things who can do all things.
Day 12: Praise Your Way to Calm
We like to receive praise from other people. It’s a natural desire, especially when we have put a lot of effort into a task or gone out of our way to do something big. There’s absolutely nothing wrong in receiving praise, it’s how we respond to it that counts. When we praise God, however, we take the attention away from ourselves to the one who completely deserves it. Praise can range from a simple prayer of thanks to a full-blown, hand-raising dance session in the privacy of your front room! Either way, it’s all geared towards God.
Day 13: Remember, You’re Amazing!
It’s nice to be adored. It’s an act of love not everyone receives in life. You may not have a special friend who showers you with adoration or, worse still, adoration is not forthcoming from the special friend you do have! However, you have to believe the Bible when it says that God pours his heart out to you in love. He means it when he says you are special. Because of his ability to focus on you uniquely, be assured those adoring words are as though they are meant only and especially for you!
Day 14: Taste and See
Simply having a knowledge of God is not going to transform you. That belief has to impact how you feel. This in turn will affect how you behave. When you have an experiential relationship with God then you can see him for who he really is. It’s a relationship that no one can challenge you on because it’s borne from your own experience.