Last month, I did a blog titled, A Pinterest Christianity. Many of you messaged me and shared the blog on your pages and with your friends. Some of you shared very personal experiences of inadequacy, frustration, anxiety, and pain of “living our best lives” (using social media terminology).
Let me shout it from the rooftops “GET BEHIND US SATAN!”
Our stress and exhaustion are fed by the father of all lies. Once you are covered by the blood of a risen Savior, YOU ARE ENOUGH! HE alone makes you whole and complete. Complete in Christ is living your best life! You are not defined by culture or even the culture we have created in the body of Christ. (Yep, I am going there…)
Baby showers were one of the first places I came in contact with the culture of a “Pinterest” church. I was asked to be a hostess of a shower in my early marriage. I was so excited to play grown-up church lady and do my part. When my best friend and I got our assignments, we both took a double-take. It required a very expensive (for two stay-at-home moms on a teacher income) springform pan with a Southern Living recipe with pricey ingredients. Then we were asked for cash for a very nice gift. We were mortified to say we couldn’t afford it. So we did what young moms do in the South, we had a garage sale. We made our money and had some leftover for those never-ending little kid bills.
Every time my college friend and I see each other, that story often comes up and we have a good laugh. What we both learned from that experience is an extra consideration of young moms and budgets when making plans.
It is very uncomfortable for any of us to say we can’t afford something. Godly church activities like showers, weddings, church camps, mission trips, and youth retreats often come with a hefty price tag. I am in Christian education and I know what it takes to pay the bills. I remember struggling to pay for church camps and mission trips along with fun youth group trips for my four children. One of the greatest thing Church leaders can consider in my opinion is to make these activities more affordable for young parents. Those of us in our later years should step up for our young families. Sometimes we don’t have the money… sometimes it is the time (yes, I noticed that pun).
We are living in the busiest generation in the history of civilization. We have to protect our family time and ourselves from over-extension. Technology keeps us wired 24 hours a day. Priscilla Shirer speaks of making Sabbath margins in our lives and families. She advocates not only keeping the Sabbath holy as a day for the Lord but to take Sabbath breaks and margins in those activities that we presume good or necessary. Under the old law, God commanded His people to set aside a day, the Sabbath, to honor and worship Him without distraction. We do not observe the Sabbath today because the old law is passed away but the idea of setting aside time for the important over the “busy” is a thought we should take to heart.
Are you constantly fighting the clutter in your home? Create a margin and pare down the “stuff” you spend organizing or cleaning up. A break in travel ball, dance, lessons after school? A margin in time spent on your phone? Learning to say no? It’s really ok and many times necessary to say no to good things too. When we take a Sabbath margin or break, we can reassess and review our priorities and seek what the Lord really wants for you and your family.
Satan wants you busy. God wants you holy.
Spend some time in prayer with HIM and ask him what HE really wants of the 24 hours HE allots each day. Maranatha!
Jayme
