Creating Energy

Some years ago I learned about managing energy levels over time management and how it leads to a more peaceful lifestyle from an article and research undertaken by Harvard business school.

 For me I have for the last 30 years lived a crash and burn lifestyle throwing myself into everything I do 100 miles an hour. However there comes a day when we get revelation that long term living that way can hurt our body not to mention hard work to live with, best you ask my husband!

One of the great skills that Jesus Christ had amongst others was that he was a philosophical thinker/ practitioner and could communicate to all types of people. An area of life He spoke about was work life balance. Documented in the Bible we find Him living what He spoke about.

He stated that we could speak directly (pray) to God and call Him father Matthew 6: 5-13 5“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 6But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

9“This, then, is how you should pray:

“‘Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name,

10your kingdom come,

your will be done

on earth as it is in heaven.

11Give us today our daily bread.

12Forgive us our debts,

as we also have forgiven our debtors.

13And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from the evil one.’

After a long day of working healing the sick, discussing kingdom concepts with people, having dinner with people he would remove Himself to a private place to be with the father for reflection. The first thing in the morning he would again be in a hidden place speaking and hearing from the father of all things.

In fact sometimes He would send people away or hide from them by crossing a lake. I can really relate to his thinking in that instance “I need to rest and gather myself” after all He was fully human – not superman!

The question I am left with is what will help us create energy when we need? Jesus has said we can still speak to him and give all our stress and anxiety to him as He cares for us.

Matthew 11:28“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest”.

So maybe some private time would help us each day in the midst of this crazy reach anyone, anywhere, anytime world.

What I have discovered is that I am an introvert who has been trying to function as an extrovert hence space and solitude is what I need to restore peace. As I write this I am sat in a cafe, with a book, coffee having solitude (not speaking to anyone) to prepare myself for the day ahead, gathering my thoughts, enjoying watching the world, recapturing my creative energy.

I am not locked away in a room praying or banging my head against the wall to trying hear God speaking. I am being doing something normal but enjoying Gods presence right here.

It has taken me years to of practice to implement this and not feel guilty for being like everyone else; able to keep going and doing more! So I encourage you to think through who God created you to be and enjoy that and manage your energy levels rather than your time.