Change Your Environment
Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:1-2
I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. Ours went well. We spent time with family and most importantly, got some rest—rest we did not even realize we needed.
Whenever we travel, we pray and ask the Lord to cover our home while we are away. That prayer became especially important after our house flooded several years ago while we were gone for Christmas (in Alabama). Along with praying for our home, I also pray for my “plant babies.” Yes, I pray for my plants. Whatever concerns the Lord’s children concerns Him—so why not?
Side note: make sure you are His child! We are all God’s creation, but we become His children through a relationship with Him; by allowing Him to be active in our lives. So be sure you are His child, not just because you want things from Him, but because He is God and He is good!
Now, back to my plants.
When we returned home, one of my “plant babies” looked like a hot mess. The others were fine, but my peace lily was definitely not (see picture below). My mind immediately started racing—what went wrong, what should I have done differently, and how could I prevent this in the future? Then one thought came to mind: when we leave home, we change the temperature in the house, leave the blinds open, crack the door, and make sure everything is watered, but something in the environment was was off and it caused the plant not to flourish the way it should have.
That led me to reflect on our own lives. What do we have in our lives (environment) that keeps us from flourishing the way God designed us to? It could be relationships, what we watch or listen to, past situations, anxiety, depression, unresolved pain, etc.
I noticed when the environment became healthy again, my plant started returning to how it was designed to be. Now, it is not fully back to where it was before we left—but it is getting back on track. That spoke volumes to me. When we get off course, it often takes time to recover. But if we do our part—allowing the Lord to remove what we do not need and supply what we do need in our environment—we will begin to flourish.
The Bible tells us in Hebrews 12:1 to lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily beset (entangles us). We must be free from unnecessary burdens, distractions, and entanglements.Those weights are the very things in our environment that are holding us back. The Lord wants us to flourish. So let us allow Him to lead and guide us, to create a healthy environment in our lives, so we can grow and thrive as His children.
Please share this blog with your family and friends. If you would like to send a message, feel free to text me—I would love to hear from you! Continue to MAKE it a GREAT day :)
Love ya! 💛
