To View the Video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/6ZQqFvBVRlo
SHOW NOTES
Welcome to a new week of the Hope Rescue Podcast. This week, Tim and Kimberly are outlining seven signs it’s time to hit the pause button. Tim and Kimberly explain that there are two types of pauses: a planned pause and a forced pause. Almost everyone enjoys planned pauses. This includes planned and anticipated vacations, holidays, and time off from work and responsibilities. Forced pauses are usually less enjoyable, such as being fired or laid off from a job, a loved one passing away, or a sickness materializing. Forced pauses are commonly sudden and unexpected, and
How do we know if we need a pause in our lives?
If you have lost passion for the important things in your life, you may need a pause. What passions in life drive you? Spiritual passion, career passion, passion for your hobbies? When these passions start to fade, maybe consider a pause.
If your spouse or significant people in your life are feeling unloved or unheard, you may need a pause. Relationships often suffer the greatest when we are in a season of hustle and hurry. Take a pause and listen to and communicate well with your loved ones.
If your boundaries are being ignored, you may need a pause. Also, if you are not respecting other people’s boundaries, it may be time to pause.
If your heart is feeling dull or dead, you may need a pause. The fear, anxieties, and isolation caused by COVID-19 has negatively affected many people’s mental health. If you feel like your mental, emotional, and physical health has taken a backseat for some time, it may be time for a pause.
If you are experiencing irregularities such as pain in your back, headaches, or digestive problems, you may be overwhelmed with stress and need to take a pause. Even when you don't feel like you're stressed, you may have some lingering stresses and anxieties that your body is aware of and trying to tell you about.
If you are experiencing loss or gain of appetite, or rapid weight gain or weight loss, you may need a pause. Many people either turn to food for comfort during stressful times or internalize their stress to the point of sickness and food aversions. If stress is affecting you to this level, it may be time for a pause.
If you have not seen your friends or family for a significant amount of time, it may be time for a pause. Have you stopped socializing and communicating with others during this time? We are not suggesting to have a large gathering with all your friends and family, but make time for those closest to you, even if it’s through a phone call or video chat.
Although God doesn't get enjoyment out of us going through painful times, He longs to use those difficult moments to shape us. Think of difficult times as a time of refining by God. What is He doing in your life, especially in difficult seasons, to shape you to become a better ambassador for Him? Even when times look grim, the Lord is still working in us.
Kimberly relates this topic to Luke 10:38-42 which says, “Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”
In this story, Martha is feeling stressed and anxious about all that needs to be done around the house. Not only do they have company visiting, but that company is Jesus. There were meals to be prepped and rooms to be cleaned, but Mary sat at Jesus’s feet and listened to what He had to say. Instead of worrying about all that needed to be done, Mary was able to prioritize the moment she had with Jesus. We can learn so much from this story. When was the last time we laid our busy schedules aside, just to sit at the feet of Jesus and listen to what He has to say? Our to-do lists are packed and our schedules are crammed. We have so much to do that the Lord often takes the back burner. In the grand scheme of life though, what matters more: keeping up with our to-do lists or staying in a close relationship with our Father? The latter wins every time.
QUOTES
“In the grand scheme of life, what matters more: keeping up with our to-do lists or staying in a close relationship with our Father?” -Kimberly
REFERENCED SCRIPTURE
Luke 10:38-42 “Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”
