Why You Need to Be Gentle With Yourself

By Bonnie Gray • August 9, 2018 • Leave a Comment

I had a hard time falling asleep and woke up being hard on myself. As I ate my breakfast, I was surrounded by my worries. Instead of songs of deliverance surrounding me like the Psalmist wrote about, my mind was filled with a noisy parade of troubling thoughts – regrets over what I wasn’t doing well, relationships that have turned hurtful, and indecisions tearing at my soul.

Why was I thinking about things I had no control over? Stop it. I lectured myself. Stop worrying!

What’s wrong with you? Don’t know you know how good you have it? I was beating myself up and it wasn’t even 10am in the morning. I had prayed and even read some Scripture, but my heart just wasn’t feeling right.

I tried to forget about my troubles by getting things done and going through my checklist. On the outside, all was good. But, what I needed wasn’t being harder on myself or lecturing myself to “get over it”.

I’ve learned through my journey of healing through depression and anxiety that what my heart needed was God’s kindness and gentleness. What we restores our souls are His whispers of rest.

The world deals with troubled heart by covering up our insecurities by networking with people of influence or by accomplishing goals that show our weaknesses won’t get the better of us.

But, God’s way of restoring the soul is very quiet: it’s real experiences of beauty, gentleness and kindness. We need to take time to take care for our emotional needs – in ways that uniquely restore and refresh us. We all need soul care.

So, later in the afternoon, I drove out to my favorite trail, standing quietly by the creek, listening as the water bubbles over the pebbles. Without any words, I felt God’s gentle love hold my heart, my soul exhaled, and a sunshine warmed my heart again — as I heard God tenderly whisper, “It’s okay. I understand.”

God understands you. He understands me. Whatever you’re going through, Jesus whispers…

(to be continued)