Are You Running on Empty?

With the hustle and bustle of our world today it is easy to run ourselves ragged. I know I am not good at taking care of myself when we are busy. Physically, my body warns me when I am doing too much. I get headaches and achy muscles. When I get these warning signals, I step back and try to relax a bit. It is not easy to ignore physical symptoms, but too often I ignore spiritual ones. I know when I have a short fuse with my children or when I am easily irritated by little things that I lack in something, and that is usually my alone time with God.

Many times we allow the things of this world to distract us from what we need. If I don’t make an opportunity to pray and read the Bible, lots of things in my life suffer. I am not able to do what the Lord has called me to do. When I forget to put on the full armor of God, I fall apart at the first dart that comes my way. I do not know why we tend to put God on the backburner when He is the one who gives us the strength to make it through our days.

In Ephesians 6:11 we are told to “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” Each day the devil will try to keep us from spending time with God. He doesn’t want us ready for his attacks. Satan will do anything to divert our attention. Even good things can keep us so busy that we don’t have time to read God’s Word and talk with Him. That old devil knows that spending time with Jesus gives us the power we need to defeat him.

As a homeschooling mom, I am aware that to give my children the best of me, I have to keep my spiritual tank filled. How am I supposed to teach them about the overflowing love of the Father if I am running on empty myself? I know it is hard for moms to find time for devotions when we have

so much going on, but I promise the effort is worth it. You will feel the peace that only God can give you, and you will handle things much better.

When my children were small, and I wasn’t getting much sleep, I would set aside time before going to sleep to bask in the presence of Jesus. Sometimes, I did not have the energy to read my Bible; I would just lay there in bed praying for the Lord to give me strength. I knew that God understood. He knew my heart.

I get up about an hour earlier than my kids do now so I can hang out with my Creator. I read the Bible, pray, and write in my journal. I make sure that my tank is full before I try taking on a battle with Satan and believe me, he is always on the prowl. He knows my weak spots and hits me hard.

Do you feel empty? I encourage you to abide in Christ. Allow Him to give you the fortitude you need to face anything thrown your way. You can depend on Him to be with you as you confront the challenges that you encounter. Apart from Christ, we cannot accomplish what we need to do, but with Him all things are possible!

My name is Betty Daley. I am a wife, mother, and homeschooling teacher. I have been married to my high school sweetheart for 24 years and we have six children. I have been homeschooling for 20 years. Our older three have graduated The Daley Academy, and we continue to homeschool our younger three. We love sharing about our homeschooling adventures. Our family motto is “Do all to the glory of God”. We pray that we can encourage others as we give you a look into our lives. https://letsgetreal2016.blogspot.com/