Two Tools to Use to Relax Quickly
The cool breeze of the ocean woke me up from dozing off with a book on my chest and a mix of sand and sunscreen on my skin. The sounds of waves gently crashing against the shore, seagulls chirping, and my friend eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich felt like soul balm as I soaked in our last day at the beach.
Relaxing, right?
I’m a beach person and there are few things quite as relaxing as spending a day at the beach, but there is nothing quick about a beach trip when you live in a land-locked state. It takes a lot of planning, time, and effort to get to that kind of relaxation. Totally worth it, but not doable on a regular basis marriage therapists edmond oklahoma.
Yet, I know that God calls us to this relaxed state of mind more regularly than I can get to the beach.
Matthew 11:28-30 says, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
John 14:27 says, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”
Colossians 3:15 says, “And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.”
These are just a few of the verses that speak of worry and rest in Scripture. We know that it is important, but how do we apply that to our busy lives marriage counselor edmond?
First, we memorize Scripture.
It sounds cliché to suggest that memorizing Scripture is an antidote to quick relaxation, but let’s explore that further.
Psalm 119:11 says, “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” Our lack of relaxation reflects the depravity of our own hearts. We are sinners in need of a savior. Marriage counselor edmond and I am frequently made aware of this in my thought life. Without the sanctifying work of Jesus in my thoughts, I am constantly sinning against God with my worry. I need God’s word hidden in my heart in order that I will not sin against Him in that way.
Caroline Leaf, a Christian brain expert, observes that “Consciously controlling your thought life means not letting thoughts rampage through your mind. It means learning to engage interactively with every single thought you have, and to analyze it before you decide either to accept or reject it.”
I cannot think of a better way to control my thoughts than to memorize Scripture. When I replace my own sinful thoughts with Scripture, I am choosing to accept Truth and reject the lies of the enemy marriage counselor edmond.
Then I can relax…quickly.
A tool I recommend to begin Scripture memory are Scripture Typer. It is an awesome App that can make Scripture memory as easy as scrolling through social media marriage counselor edmond. Go ahead, give it a try! Replace one round of social media with Scripture memory and watch it change your life.
Second, we take prayer walks.
Wherever you are you can likely go on a quick prayer walk. This practice is easier to remember than ever because we have watches that remind us to stand up every hour. Use those reminders to not only enhance your physical health, but to enhance your spiritual and mental health. When you take time to walk to the bathroom, walk to the coffee maker, or walk to your co-worker’s desk, choose to pray instead of letting your mind wander to the worries of the day. A prayer walk doesn’t have to be praying outloud. A prayer walk is simply talking to God about your day, praising Him for what He is doing, acknowledging Who He is, or asking for His help marriage counselor edmond.
A few tips for prayer walking:
- If you can get outside to pray, do! On a break, walk around the parking lot on a nice day. This can feel like a mini vacation.
- Pray for others. Getting outside ourselves is a great antidote to worrying about our own problems.
- Imagine God with you. Like the Garden of Eden when God physically walked with Adam and Eve, picture God walking with you as you pray. What better way to relax than by remembering the King of Kings is by your side?
- Pray out loud when you can. You may not always be able to pray out loud, but when you can pray out loud that practice can speak truth over your environment.
When everyone else is on social media posting their beautiful vacation photos, remember that quick relaxation is found in Jesus marriage counselor edmond. Comparison and worry does not help. Corrie Ten Boom said, “Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow. It empties today of its strength.”