I don’t know about you but about February, I usually hit a mid-semester wall. I’m stressed, overwhelmed, busy, and bored all at the same time; I’m tired of winter and ready for the hope and joy that comes with spring. This year has been especially hard, it’s cold, harder to see people, and frankly a bit lonely; everyone goes through these seasons and it’s completely normal and I want to encourage you that you are not the only one who feels this way.
Even if you’re not in school I think this can still be encouraging and breathe new life back into your routine. Whether you are feeling burnt out, weak, or just tired this post is for you; I hope these practical steps can give you some encouragement and joy.
Connect With God
The first thing I want to talk about is making sure that you are connecting with God first. I think it’s really easy to get into a routine with our relationship with Him; that’s not inherently a bad thing, it’s good to get into the discipline of reading the word and in prayer. But it can be harmful when we begin to go through the motions of doing these things because we are supposed to do them. We need to make sure we are truly connecting with our Father, that we are fervent in our prayer and passionate about his word.
Trust me, I know this can be hard especially when you just don’t feel it with him, I have been really struggling with this lately. But I have realized that you can’t build your faith on emotions because they don’t last; sometimes you have to push past those lack of feelings and pour over his word and pour into prayer. This life is not a sprint, it’s a marathon and we have to continue to run the race set before us with his strength.
He Renews Us
“But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31
Jesus renews us when we are weak; we don’t walk through these mundane seasons alone; talk to the Lord about how you are feeling. Ask him to renew your strength, to give you a passion and desire for his word, and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you into fervent prayer. I promise you will see a difference in every aspect of your life.
Change Things Up
My next piece of advice is to change things up. This goes for everything, your quiet time, your school routine, and you’re at-home schedule. When you do the same things over and over again, they get boring and mundane, change things up. Try that new devotional you’ve heard about, try a new coffee shop to study in, or cook a new recipe at home; whatever it is change it, make a new routine that is fun and different. We get comfortable in our routines and it’s often hard to break away from that but when we shake it up it can bring new things that the Lord is doing in your life.
Do Something Fun
Do something fun for yourself, we get so caught up in school, work, and home responsibilities that we forget to have fun (I’m preaching to myself over here). When we get in these mundane seasons of routines and burnouts it’s easy to see the practical side of things, but when you let yourself relax, sit back, and enjoy something you love, I think God uses those things to renew our strength.
It can be something simple, going for a run by yourself, taking a long bath, or going to coffee with a good friend are simple joys that God works through to bring new life into those mundane seasons or semesters.
The next thing I want to talk about is delighting in the Lord, I have talked about this a couple of times on my blog, but I am a big believer in us seeing Christ in all things because he is in all things. This is kind of a mindset change of looking at the mundane things of life as blessings from the Lord; because they are. I can delight in my full school schedule this year because many people don’t have the opportunity to get an education. I can delight in my job because not everyone has a job; I can delight in my long list of chores because not everyone has dishes to wash or a house to clean.
Delight In Him
I can delight in all things because Christ is in all things!! He is in every good cup of coffee, quiet morning, and hug from my sister; I can view those simple things as blessings from the Lord and delight in what he is doing in those things. Those simple mindset shifts can change your whole day! It changes your whole view on your season and when we delight in what God is doing, it shows us how close he actually is.
“Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday”. Psalm 37:3-6
It’s hard trying to live in the moment when you are in the rut of the mundane every day, the days are all the same, and it’s hard to be excited for the moment you are in. But this is not the outlook to have on life because the truth is we all go through seasons of slowness, weakness, or just mundane and it’s important to shape our minds and our outlooks on life.
He Has A Reason For The Season
Knowing that God has you in this season for a reason; I don’t presume to know God’s will, but I know that he is working in all things, especially when it feels like he is not. Whether that means he is teaching you something through this season, testing and strengthening your faith, or desiring you to turn to him. Whatever it is, I know that God’s plan is a million times better than mine, so if this is the season he wants me in right now, then I am going to dig into that.
I will encourage you to be intentional with the time God has given us; maybe this season seems like a waste of time, but he calls us to be good stewards of what he has given us, including our time. We get so caught up in the hustle and bustle of everyday life that we forget to be intentional; he gives us renewed life and strength when we ask for it and are expectant for what he is doing.
“But I will hope continually and I will praise you yet more and more. My mouth will tell of your righteous acts, of your deeds of salvation all the day, for their number is past my knowledge. With the mighty deeds of the Lord God, I will come; I will remind them of your righteousness, your alone” Psalm 71:14-16
He Is Working
I want to encourage you that the Lord is working, he is present no matter what season you are in, whether it’s that mid-semester slump or you’re on fire with joy and passion. He is renewing your strength and giving you life; don’t miss what he is doing for you and through you in this season!
I hope this was encouraging to you, and I would love it if you would check out my post about finding acceptance https://livinglifewithgracie.com/how-to-find-acceptance/ I hope you know that you are fully known and fully loved and know that he is working. Please reach out if you need anything and would love to talk!
-Gracie K
p.s. Also check out my mom’s blog: https://www.lifesneverdull.com/
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