Got Spiritual Milk?

Have you ever heard the saying, “You can’t pour from an empty cup”? Some may see a glass half full or half empty. But what happens when there’s literally nothing left?

I know the holiday season can take a toll on people. During a time when we are supposed to be celebrating the birth of our savior, our focus is often on the people around us rather than our Father in Heaven. There are gifts to buy, people to visit, and meals to prep, as Nikki so astutely pointed out in her recent blog “Finding Christmas.”

But in all of this hustle and bustle, we often forget about one other very important person – ourselves. I’m not talking about “self-care queen, treat yo’ self, retail therapy” treatment, though (it is nice, and it’s not like it doesn’t provide a temporary boost of serotonin…just sayin’). I’m talking about achieving some peace of mind during a time when there should be peace on Earth.

It seems we are perpetually stressed about something. School, work, parents, kids, spouse…the world. The pandemic wasn’t exactly a booster shot for an “everything is going to be alright” mentality, either. Yes, we know God’s got us. We know “all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). I could quote verses like this to you all day, and while it might refresh your memory as to who is really in charge, it doesn’t solve the problem entirely.

Part of remedying our eternally-stressed selves is reliant upon setting time aside to just be still. I know many a Christian loves Psalm 46:10 – “…Be still, and know that I am God…” Easier said than done, right? It’s like telling someone who is having a panic attack to “just relax.”

I’m currently taking a class called Methods of Bible Study, and I’m learning to not just read verses like the above. I’m starting to understand part of reading your Bible is to “…meditate on [God’s law] day and night…” (Joshua 1:8). Now, when you hear the word “meditate,” I know your mind immediately goes to practices like yoga and people chanting “om,” but that’s not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about stepping away from distraction. Going to a quiet place (even if it’s your garage or yes, your bathroom), sitting down, and being intentional about reading even just one verse.

Think about the context in which it was written/said. Who wrote/is saying it? What might they have been thinking or feeling at the time? Was it someone going through something similar to you? How are you alike and different? As you read or recite the verse, breathe deep. Absorb it. Make it a mantra for that day or the next if your alone time takes place at the end of the current day.

How does this help you take better care of yourself? Health isn’t just about your body – your mind and soul make up the other two aspects of the trinity that is yourself. God “created [your] inmost being,” and “knit [you] together in [your] mother’s womb” (Psalm 139:13). As King David writes in this psalm, we are “fearfully and wonderfully made” (139:14) and we need to praise and honor the Lord by taking care of what He’s bestowed unto us.

In Galatians 5:13, Paul states we were called to be free, but we shouldn’t use that freedom to indulge ourselves. We should use it to serve one another humbly in love. But we cannot do this if we are empty glasses. It’s time to pour ourselves a glass of “spiritual milk” (1 Peter 2:2, and no, I’m not kidding), have God rejuvenate our souls, and get back out there to continue to serve those who need that kind of refreshment as well.