Now is the time for change

“How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.” 

- Annie Dillard 

“I don’t have time to live intentionally! I’m barely keeping my head above water!” 

For decades, I thought this. 

In our FWL Ministry, we’ve heard this same lament over and over and over again. 

It is challenging to maintain healthy habits when you’re used to surviving on autopilot, going a million miles an hour. But the truth for many of us is that, for the foreseeable future, our lives will continue to be busy.  It is essential we not wait for a “someday” that is not arriving any time soon before taking better care of ourselves. 

Both rigidity and disorganization can sabotage your efforts to grow and engage with your life, so it is important to think small and consistent rather than overly ambitious and erratic. 

 Intentionality is NOT perfectionism but rather developing a habit of pausing and praying before speaking or reacting to ask yourself if what you are about to consume, say, or do is healthy or destructive. 

You will know a decision is healthy if it softens your heart, soothes your mind and soul, energizes your body, strengthens your relationships, and encourages personal growth. Conversely, you will know it is destructive if it hardens your heart, causes anguish and self-loathing, exhausts your body, strains your relationships, or hinders your personal growth. 

You must mentally and spiritually embrace self-care before attempting to add or remove habits from your daily routine. Thinking of self-care as something you will try and fit in if you have the time is very different from viewing it as the highest priority in your life. Without some semblance of a plan for staying healthy, calm, and productive, you will become a victim of circumstances outside of your control and remain stuck in a chronic state of overwhelm. 

Intentional living is your ticket to freedom and growth, regardless of what’s happening around you. It is learning to control what you can control and releasing the rest to God!   

What small tweaks to your daily schedule could reduce your stress and increase your calm and fruitfulness? 

Make a list and pick one this week to try and implement!

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