As women, we often don’t include ourselves in our schedules because we forget, think it’s selfish, or get too busy serving others. Yet God tells us to love our neighbor the same way we love ourselves.
It isn’t selfish to take care of ourselves, stay connected with friends, and nurture our God-given talents. However, we want to create a balance between activities that uplift our spirits and the time we need for the rest of our responsibilities.
Fun
A friend, spouse, or boss seldom tells us to take several hours from our everyday work so we can spend with friends or develop our dream. Yet, if we don’t take time for renewal and a mental break, we set ourselves up for eventual burnout.
Take a few minutes each day to enjoy a favorite hobby, go for a walk or sit still and pray. These sacred moments each day renew our spirits and calm our minds.
Set aside one day a week to rest, relax, unwind, and enjoy a favorite pastime. For many of us, this is the day we attend worship services.
Friends
Our husbands usually don’t think, talk or understand our emotions like other women. However, a few close girlfriends give us another woman’s opinion and provide a prayer partner.
Ask God to lead as you talk with others and befriend those you connect with. Once we find several friends, we need to spend time maintaining those friendships.
Remember, developing an intimate friendship takes months or even years. Nurture and cherish your close relationships, or they’ll fizzle out from neglect.
Future
Whatever dreams and abilities God places in our hearts, He wants us to use them as we serve others.
In the different seasons of life, we might raise a family, run a business, or focus on a particular goal, but usually all at once. We must trust God’s timing without losing sight of the dreams He places in our hearts.
Love your neighbor as yourself. ~Matthew 19:19
