Feeling Distressed, Distracted, or Stretched Thin by the Demands of Life? Here’s One Spiritual Practice that Can Help You Refresh and Reconnect to what Matters Most.
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photo by Daniel gonzalez on unsplash
To connect to the internet at my house, I use an old-fashioned Ethernet cable. One perk of this arrangement is that when I have a project that requires high concentration, such as writing a blog post, I can unplug the cord. Without access to the internet and its myriad distractions, I find it easier to focus on the task at hand.
Sometimes, we need to unplug. Not just from the internet, but from the pressures of life. We need occasional breaks from the strain of work, social obligations, chores, and even ministry.
Despite the importance of unplugging, it can be hard to do. We may feel like we need to always be “on.” We may feel that being constantly present and available is the “Christian” thing to do. But that’s not what Jesus modeled. Take a look at what He did after His miraculous feeding of over 5,000 people: “Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray” (Matthew 14:22-23 NIV).
Jesus had responsibilities. He had friends, family, and followers. He had work to do and needs to meet. Yet He took time away from it all, and in that time He connected to His Father through prayer.
That’s the beauty of unplugging. As we disconnect from one thing, we create the space to reconnect to something else.
As I unplug from the internet, I create space to connect to the creative work of writing.
As we unplug from social media, we create space to connect to friends face to face.
As we unplug from our to-do list, we create space to connect to the soul-refreshing beauty of creation.
As we unplug from the press of people and the demands of ministry, we create space to connect with God, spirit to spirit.
What do you need to unplug from today? With what or with whom do you need to reconnect? Trust that Jesus will help you find the space and the grace to make the connections that matter most.
I hope you're having a fantastic week, and, as always, I'd love to hear from you! You are in my prayers
With love,
I want to hear from you!
What do you need to unplug from? What do you need to reconnect to? What creative ways have you found to unplug lately? I'd love to hear about it in the comments below!
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P.S.
I wrote this post because I’m on a mission to encourage and equip women to live the life of faith, passion, and purpose that we were made for. You can help make a difference by sharing this post with a friend (or friends!) who you think would be encouraged or inspired by it. Thanks!
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