I remember the day I read this passage. Not just glanced at it, but really read it. I was in college, living away from home for the first time with a roommate who spent the nights in her boyfriend's dorm. I was lonely and so I read a lot. I dug into scripture more than I had ever done in the past and I read all sorts of books. I was reading through Loving God with All your Mind, by Elizabeth George (if you haven't read it. . . it's pretty on point!) and her thoughts on this verse really helped me truly understand what Paul was writing to the church at Philippi and how guilty I was of doing just the opposite. This verse changed me.
Each day our minds are bombarded with so much information and "stuff." A few months ago, when summer was just approaching, Annie Downs had Carlos Wittaker on her podcast, That Sounds Fun. He mentioned that when our parents and grandparents were growing up the amount of info they soaked in was about a a tenth of how much is filling our minds every day. (let me be honest, I totally butchered that statistic and have no source, but I will link the podcast at the bottom). Basically, the gist of it is that because of how accessible technology is today, we are constantly being bombarded with information. Every day our brains are filled to overflowing and it mentally and physically drains us. We are tired and running ragged. I think that the reason why is we were not created for information overload.
When you think about all the information that you get each day, a lot of it is not true, pure, lovely, authentic, or even gracious. I know many of you are ready to throw in the towel and turn off social media or even just crawl in a cave and hide for awhile. It's okay. I've been there too.
I like pretty things. I think I always have, but I think that this verse gave more meaning to the word pretty. . . I like lovely things. Chasing sunsets along the beach, stopping the car to look at a grove of cypress trees or redwood trees, or even getting my hands on some rifle paper fabric to create something beautiful all bring me joy as I look for things that are lovely and beautiful. When me moved into our home, I had a hard time looking for the beauty in the drab walls and ugly carpet, but soon found ways to create a space that was lovely . . . a space that brings a quiet peace amidst the daily insanity.
I think even more than ever we need to be cultivators of beauty and goodness in a world that seems so harsh and ugly. Taking the time to cultivate spaces that bring you joy will no doubt feed your soul as you find rest and peace in your day-to-day.
But, how do we do this? It's 2020. . . the year alone just screams ugly and depressing? Friends, take a moment and just breathe deep breaths. God is sooo much bigger than all that 2020 will bring us (or has brought us already!) and he never once leaves us alone. We can get through this and we can find beauty and joy despite of the ugliness. After all, if God is right here, holding our hand as we journey through the hard moments and He is filled with beauty and grace then we sure can find it we just take a look around.
Here are my tips for cultivating those spaces in our lives to bring joy and peace.
1. Breathe. Get out of the house and (safely) go on an adventure. Trek through the trails, walk barefoot along a sandy beach. Look for beauty in God's creation. Despite 2020, it's still a beautiful world that God has created. Even taking a moment to throw on your ear buds and blast some music while you walk around your block offers a chance to just breathe.
2. Guard your heart. Proverbs 4:23 says to "Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it." We need to guard our hearts from things that are ugly and stir up feeling of disgust. Those things do not align with that verse in Philippians. Look at your social media account. I use mine for connecting with this blog and keeping up with my Bible study group, so getting rid of facebook just isn't something I am willing to part with, because it has so much good. It's a pretty good way to stay connected through social distancing. But, it doesn't mean you have to look at all the crap (just keeping it real, folks) that invades your facebook feed. You have control over that. Feel free to snooze those people who cause you to not think about true, lovely, reputable, and authentic things. You don't have to unfriend them. . . but you can hide them from your feed for awhile. You can also hide posts from certain media outlets. Remember, not all news is actually news and depending on who's writing it the bias can be a little off causing truth to be twisted (this goes for both sides of the spectrum).
Just a quick note: I refuse to get political on this blog because there is just so much hateful division that it breaks my heart. This blog will never be a place that causes division. I want it to be a place that brings you joy, encouragement and inspiration as you navigate your life.
3. Follow people who bring you joy. My favorite social media outlet is Instagram because I can choose who shows up on my feed. I pay close attention to check if my feed is bringing me joy and encouragement or even inspiration.
4. Read the Bible. Seriously . . it is filled with so many beautiful truths of God's faithfulness throughout the whole book. Go a step further and memorize a verse or two. It definitely helps me cultivate beauty in the daily.
5. Think about things that are true. This one was a real eye opener because so many times I hear the voice in my head telling me things like, "you're not good enough" and "why even blog. . . no one's going to read it" or even "that idea isn't good" and friends, those are all lies that the devil send you to stop you in your tracks and prevent God from doing His work in and through you. I know that not everyone will read this post, but maybe one person will and be encouraged and if that's true, then I know I was obedient to God's calling to write this post. Fill your thoughts with scripture to combat those lies that fly your way.
6. Create something. Look around. What can you do to make something lovely? Sometimes, just painting the walls or hanging up some pictures and putting a throw blanket down takes a space from drab to lovely in an instant. Is there a new hobby you want to try? Or are there some projects that you need to finish up that will result in lovely things when you finish?
7. Make a list. I am a fan of a list. But, why not this month keep a list of all the things that you find each daily that are true, lovely, good, noble, authentic and see what it does to your mindset. . . to your heart.
Let's fill our hearts and minds with the things with the things that Paul listed out in Philippians 4:8. Let us embark on a journey to create spaces within our daily routine that feed our hearts and souls in a way that springs forth life. Let us live abundantly!
Links:
Loving God with all your mind, by Elizabeth George
Annie Downs podcast with Carlos Wittaker
my pinterest boards with all kinds of potential beauty
my blog post on adventuring safely during COVID
Also, I recommend reading this book
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