Time-Outs Are Not Wasted Time
“But trust in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy.”
—1 Timothy 6:17b
Welcome, 😬
I’m glad you joined me. May the Lord encourage your heart here today.
Do you struggle to be content and accept the “time-outs” in life?
My extrovert tendency has made it challenging for me at times to accept and enjoy unexpected seasons of being at home. I’m used to being out and about, traveling with my husband for much of the year and visiting local church fellowships across North America.
But, by the Lord’s design, there have been seasons when I’ve found myself right where I didn’t expect to be—at home, with fewer plans and more time to simply be still.
Maybe you’ve had a similar unplanned time-out experience at some point in your life. Perhaps through the loss of a job, a change in your school situation, a move, an illness, or simply a season when life didn’t unfold the way you had planned.
As with every new or changed circumstance in our walk with the Lord, we know He can use these things for our spiritual growth.
One insight the Lord has been showing me is that I’m not always very good at “allowing” myself to relax, appreciate, and be content with the time-outs He gives me. It seems I think I always need a plan—something to accomplish, somewhere to go, or something to do next.
I don’t always see these times of rest as a blessing from His loving hand.
As I considered the verse above with my own seasons of “time-out” in mind, I realized I needed an attitude adjustment.
Could these quiet seasons be part of the “all things to enjoy” that the Lord provides?
It’s easy to get caught up in the busyness of this world and all our responsibilities, sometimes without even realizing how desperately we need a time-out for spiritual, emotional, and physical refreshment.
Perhaps you feel like you’re in a time-out right now from what your “normal” life once looked like.
Instead of simply wishing for things to return to the way they were, ask the Lord how He would have you use this time. What would He like you to learn? Is there something He wants you to notice? Is He inviting you to slow down and spend more time with Him?
As you rest and wait for His direction, enjoy those quiet moments with Him. Spend more time in prayer. Open His Word and linger there. Let your soul be refreshed in His presence.
We can trust the living God because He knows exactly what we need.
Since He gives us richly all things to enjoy, perhaps we can learn to receive even the unexpected pauses of life from His loving hand.
Time-outs are not necessarily wasted time.
Sometimes they are simply an invitation to slow down, rest, listen, and enjoy the Lord.
So, praise Him and simply enjoy each moment, my friends. ☺️
