Are you late almost everywhere you go? Do you see yourself coming and going? If so, you may be missing restful margins in your life.
Margins are considered boundaries of protection for our souls against the craziness of society’s fast pace.
We’re racing through a lifestyle where busyness and exhaustion are considered status symbols. Productivity is a sign of self-worth. Working to the point of over-exhaustion is regularly valued (and even rewarded) in many companies.
Our culture provides little-to-no margins for solitude, playtime, family, health, God, or even a quiet nap! However, to live wisely and wholeheartedly we must learn to redeem our time.
How did we get to this point?
We were never meant to live in complete exhaustion; God did not call us to busyness. In fact, He instructs us to create margins of downtime in our lives—with reliance on Him—as shown in Psalm 46:10 where He says, “Be still and know that I am God.”
In our environment, think of how many physical margins there are that provide space to breathe and rejuvenate:
- Homes have open yards to stroll through and play
- Communities have spacious parks and walking trails
- Highways have shoulders and rest areas
- Books and magazines have white space to rest our eyes
Quietness and inward peace will not happen until we set intentional limits on the many distractions around us. We need this “sacred stillness” in order to live wholehearted lives.
How can you incorporate peaceful margins in your life today?
- Leave 10-15 minutes earlier
- Stay home a full day
- Turn the radio off as you drive
- Turn off the TV while you’re home
- Reduce browsing time on your computer
- Finish that book (or maybe re-read it)
“Stillness is not about focusing on nothingness; it’s about creating a clearing. It’s opening up an emotionally clutter-free space and allowing ourselves to feel, think, dream, and question.” ~ Gifts of Imperfection, Brene` Brown, PhD