Rhythms of Renewal: Trading Stress and Anxiety for a Life of Peace and Purpose

by Rebekah Lyons

Taking photos of our life Reading books

Distraction from the present Time suck Keeps me from thinking deeply Too much time on games

if we sit in regret too long, if we let it swirl without release, we descend into a rabbit hole of shame. We nurse guilt. So often, our regret, shame, and self-condemnation do not motivate us to be more present, more proactive. Instead, they lead to more anxiety and defeat.

There it is- the tension between prioritizing sleep and cheerfully waking before dawn every day for “quiet time.” What about when they are mutually exclusive?

When our identity is found in who God says we are rather than in our highs and lows, our successes and failures, or our desires, affections, or shortcomings, we experience the freedom we were meant to enjoy.

HOW MIGHT YOUR LIFE BE DIFFERENT IF YOU SHIFTED HOW YOU TALK ABOUT YOURSELF AND THE THINGS YOU FACE? FOR EXAMPLE, INSTEAD OF SAYING THINGS LIKE “I AM . . .” YOU START SAYING, “I’VE WALKED THE ROAD OF . . .” OR “I’VE STRUGGLED WITH . . .”