4 Steps to Renew your Mind and Revive your Soul

SELF-CARE THROUGH RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD

When you think of the word 'love,' what is the first thing that comes to mind? For many, it elicits strong feelings around finding and being loved by your one true love. Perhaps it ignites ideas of a loving family, a mother's love, or your favorite indulgent pleasure after a long day at the office. After listing everything you love, where do you rank when you go down the list? And how about God?

Often we put ourselves last while prioritizing the people and things around us. The Word of God tells us to love our neighbor as ourselves-- not before. In essence, we must fully love ourselves before loving others well. And here's the thing, for many of us, we grow to love ourselves through the love of the Heavenly Father. 

Many women can find themselves utterly exhausted after pouring all of themselves into those who they love. This level of exhaustion can lead to reduced mental clarity, health issues, and fractured relationships if you aren't careful. To love ourselves well requires we show up in a manner that honors God so that we can be the lights on a hill he's called us to be. As we enter Spring, the flowers begin to bloom, and the sun shines for a bit longer. We can think of no better time to embrace renewal and revival. This season, we are focusing on the heart of the matter, renewing our minds and reviving our souls so that we can walk boldly as the woman God has called us to be. Here are our four steps to renew your mind and revive your soul. 

Step 1 - Sacrifice Self 

Ideas of self-love, self-care, self-awareness, self-self permeate popular culture. Very rarely do the self-help (there's that word again) gurus tell their audience to be outright selfish, but isn't the insight at the heart of the matter. To be your best self, to realize true and lasting transformation, you must put yourself first, right? Not exactly. To experience true transformation from the inside out, we must start with God. When we turn to God and find our identity in Him, we experience present and evolving change within our bodies and minds. Romans 12:2 reads: "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." To resist being conformed implies a separation. 

If we are honest, we acknowledge that we are inherently sinful and are born in this world but do not have to be of it. When we accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, we are set apart and thus have access to the Holy Spirit working in us to get to where we think like God. But this requires that we humble ourselves and submit to divine guidance as our source for renewal. It's a sacrifice of sorts of the world views and values of self-help to seek out the creator of the universe. By praying and meditating on His word, our minds transform, and the path to revival begins.

Step 2 - Limit Access

We all have them. The well-meaning aunty, cousin, sister, or friend who needs to talk, now, now, now, now, now, now. And we get it. It's great to have someone you can depend on in a time of need. But every time isn't always a good time. Have you ever begrudgingly answered a call to hear an overly enthusiastic or deeply saddened loved one on the other line to end the call feeling completely and utterly drained. There was no "Hello, how are you?", just straight to it. "Girl! let me tell you."

Before we get too far along, the Word does encourage us to share in one another's burdens. However, we suggest establishing clear and healthy boundaries that allow you to choose when and how to engage. And the good news is that by doing so, you can prioritize the time you spend renewing your mind through prayer and meditation on the word. In Matthew 11, Jesus makes it clear that his yoke is easy and his burden light. But we must make time to be with Him to experience His rest. To do so requires that we are intentional with our time by limiting access to others to prioritize time with our Lord and Savior. 

Step 3 - Activate Healing 

Your period of growth and healing starts with having one on one time with yourself and God. Start by being more mindful of what you're doing with your time and with whom you're spending your time. Get more comfortable saying no to plans that are better used to feed your spirit. The power of healing comes with acknowledging the people and situations you have grown from and knowing that you're stronger because God has brought you out of every circumstance that the enemy threw your way. Dig deeper into yourself and become transparent about how you feel when you are not surrounded by friends, co-workers, family members, or other people who may serve as distractions. At the end of the day, when you are unwinding, and it's just you and God, who are you in the quiet moments? Start asking yourself questions like: Am I living a life that honors God's purpose for me? In what areas of my life am I showing up as my best self? Where am I falling short? What can I do to make a change for the better at this moment? Asking these questions is the first step to beginning a transparent dialogue with the Heavenly Father. In your conversations with Him, surrender and find comfort in knowing that your love life, familial issues, and career goals could not be in better hands. God is the source of continuous emotional, mental, and physical healing. 

Step 4 - Get The Glow 

We know about having that pregnancy glow, happiness glow, etc. What about having a God glow? A glow that shows that you are not only close with God but have renewed and revived yourself so much that you no longer look like your past but are a testament that anything is possible with God. Give it to God is a saying that has been around for as long as I can remember, yet it is always one of the best things you can do in any situation. To achieve a God glow, begin adding these words and phrases to your prayers. "Empty me of myself and fill me with You, let Your will be done in all areas of my life, and I know that my peace, joy, and comfort comes from you." This glow varies every day; sometimes, your glow is the strength you radiate after overcoming a strenuous battle. On another occasion, you may be filled with confidence the next day because you know God is in control, and you're aware that anything is possible with God on your side.