I found myself with thirty free minutes this afternoon . . . thirty minutes to myself because my toddler fell asleep watching a movie on the couch. We don’t bother with nap time anymore, so sleep-filled afternoons are a rarity. Snuggled next to him I didn’t realize he had dozed off until I heard his little snores. I laid him down, cozied up with a blanket and wondered what I’d do with this unexpected gift of time.
My attention turned to a stack of magazines on the kitchen table. I grabbed the mags and my coffee and sat in blissful peace with nothing to do except be inspired by the pages I turned.
It didn’t take long for my heart to be weighted by frustration and envy.
I wish my closet was that organized.
Why can’t I seem to accessorize my living room so fabulously?
Maybe I can make that yummy dessert after I lose 5 more pounds. . .
I love magazines. They are my guilty pleasure. I love being inspired by beautiful layouts and expertly put together outfits. I love getting ideas for color and space and family meals. But I often find myself frustrated and judged after perusing pages filled with breathtaking images and ideas. And don’t even get me started on Pinterest. If magazines pull me into a deep state of discontent, Pinterest pulls me deeper. {Can I get an amen?!}
I know I am missing the point of inspiration and do more damage than good when I allow myself to covet what I see rather than be motivated by it. Yet I can’t keep myself away.
I long to be inspired. In a world so covered in amazing imagery and the ability to make just about anything look pretty, I want to surround myself with splendor.
I know that inspiration depends on the consumption of outside ideas, methods and art forms. There is no way to truly be inspired if we don’t open our eyes to the beauty that surrounds . . . the beauty created by hands other than our own.
But I often forget that being open to take in what others have to offer requires a certain guardedness. It requires a delicate balance of self-awareness, self-confidence and respect – for ourselves and for others.
To live a healthy, balanced, non-threatened inspired life . . . we must know who we are.
We must understand our unique gifts, abilities and limitations and then purpose to grow beyond them. A healthy balance of challenge and awe comes from inspiration born out of this place.
We must surround ourselves with beauty.
Yes. . . magazines, Pinterest, Instagram. And if we ready our hearts before we log on or turn the pages, we can take it all in without falling into the comparison trap. But beyond media outlets, we can seek inspiration in non-threatening places. Nature, family, friendships. Beauty is all around us in its most organic form.
We must read.
First, the Word. Because there are no words more inspiring than the Truth. Only after we’ve fueled ourselves with truth should we go after human inspiration. This is the best way to set our hearts up for the win.
We must connect.
I can’t think of anything more inspiring than people, face to face, in the flesh. Some of the best ideas come out of an authentic exchange between friends and loved ones.
We must love well.
When we love well, we form the greatest connection between ourselves and the One who is Love. The more we pour ourselves out in the splendor of service and selflessness, the more He fills us to overflowing. What a wonderful place for beauty to be born.
We must breathe deep.
Pause. Listen. When we are moving too fast we miss so much. Leisure and time and margin just might be the most beautiful inspirational forces.
The next time I find myself with free time to be inspired, I will absolutely guard my heart before I browse. Life is too beautiful to allow the lies of comparison to close our eyes to its brilliance.
How do you guard yourself from being threatened by things that should inspire?
Oh I so get this. Sometimes I feel like deleting all of my social media outlets because I find myself falling deeper into the pit of “I can’t measure up”. Thank you for sharing!
Barbie, It’s so nice to know we are not alone in this though, right?! Just another reminder that it’s silly to compare. We are all in this beautiful life together and we can learn so much from each other. Great to connect with you here today!
I do not get caught up all in that. I am not on Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest. Heart issues-it is all about the heart but knowing His love for me, knowing that my sins are forgiven and taken away and being secure that He keeps me is more than enough for me. Then in turn when you have His security you want your home that He has blessed you with to be a warm place, a beautiful place where my family comes home to and feels the warmth, grace and love that He has provided.
Janet, that is amazing. What beautiful words you have written here to remind those who are on social media and those who aren’t that the truth remains the same for all. I love what you say about the desire for our homes to be warm and beautiful come from a place of security in him. Yes! You are living an inspired life friend. Thank you for this!
What a beautiful way to think about it, Janet! I just want my home to be a place where God’s love is manifested, not just to my family but to anyone who walks through our door. It may not be perfect, but I pray that God makes it into a holy place where he abides.
Well said. The enemy is so subtle in his attacks but uses the same old tactic -temptation of beauty and telling us we are missing out-causing us to long,question and compare.
Kerry, it’s not just since social media has been around is it? We’ve always dealt with these issues. . .old fashioned magazines and TV ads have been doing this for years. No matter what the source, we need to find our confidence and contentment in his truth. Thanks for sharing. Great to connect with you!
Jessica,
It is amazing how God sends e-mails to answer my prayers to remind me to be thankful for what I have and to take time for him, then my family. I have been married for 33 years. Three-years ago I returned to going to church. My brother was home on leave and asked if I would like to attend a service with him. I said yes and fell in love with the church. Attended their welcome class and afterwards baptized. Since then my husband tells me I am a different person than the one he married. I have changed and it is due to God. He doe not get it. It is very hard at times. The devil is trying to break our home apart. I’m standing firm with God.
Thank you so much for sharing.
Laura, I am praying for you and your husband right now. That the Lord would enlighten his heart like he did yours to bring unity and hope into your home. In Jesus name. Thank you for sharing with us. Also praying for his grace and strength to cover you and you continue to grow in faith and minister to your husband. Standing firm with you!
Laura.
Prayers for strength as you both grow in your faith and try to convict your husband. Prayers that the evil one will leave and your hubby can find Jesus. May God bring hope, faith, love and unity into your home.
Blessings 🙂
Jessica,
I read this article and it felt like a mirror of what I would have written. My passion is for women to do selfcare. For years, I didn’t know what selfcare was so I spent eight years researching and writing a book about it. (Renewed).
Thank you for giving women permission to create space for beauty, solitude, and other selfcare measures.
Lucille, I love that! I am definitely going to check out your book. Selfcare is so important and often so overlooked in women. Thank you for ministering to others and reminding us to take time for ourselves. Great to connect with you here!
I don’t think my home must be perfect. I think it must be lived in and messy so everyone will know that it’s a home. A comfortable home. I do not look at mags to make my home. I just put whatever when ever and how ever. A home well lived in in all its messes, is perfect. It’s a home.
I just want to keep things simple and little. Little is good.
Just a lot of JESUS, the best.
🙂
Amen Karyn! Just a lot of Jesus. . .love that!
AMEN! I have those same feelings of really loving the pictures and ideas in shops, magazines, etc, but by the time the last page is turned or my feet meet the threshold again, I feel defeated and envious.
Thank you for the encouragement to pursue our True Love first and allow Him to show us His way to create, share and connect. 🙂
Yes Holly. His way to create! Because he is the Creator. . .his way is the best way. Great to connect with you here!
Hi Jessica,
I, too, have been feeling the need for inspiration. And I keep looking outward. It’s time for me to carve time to absorb God’s whispers and words and be inspired from within. Maybe, just maybe, my heart will then feel more satiated. . Thank you for sharing your heart today …
Kristin, “God’s whispers” love that! Being inspired from within is sometimes the hardest because it requires us to trust ourselves and love ourselves first. But it’s the best place for creativity to be born! Thanks for sharing!!
When I start to feel that coveting sneak into my heart and psyche, I have to disengage myself from those little fire starters. I immerse myself in fully loving my life, my home, my body, my spouse. When I feel more confident in what He has blessed me with, then I can engage again because it is my reaction that is threatening to my relationship with Him. Great post, and it is good to know that I am not alone with this struggle.
Lisa, Such wisdom. . .to disengage and immerse yourself in the blessings of your life until you are ready to engage again. Oh I love that. Thank you so much for sharing!
…by focusing on the fact that God provides all I need and all I enjoy in His time and being so grateful for what is given in the now, knowing more will come from His abundance – more to enjoy and more to share…He makes all things beautiful in their time!” This really has made all the difference in my just being awed and inspired instead of jealous or envious!! This too is a gift!
Jessica, your words are very true! Yes, go first to the Lord, because he’s more than enough for us and makes our joy complete! God’s commandment to not covet was given to us for very good reason! Envy creates huge rifts between ourselves and others, and ourselves and God, the giver of all good things. We never have to look for satisfaction outside of what God’s blessed us with – that is telling him that his gifts aren’t enough! Give thanks to God for all he has given!
Erica, gratitude is so important. I could have written a whole other post on that part of inspiration alone. Thank you for that reminder. His gifts are more than enough!!
Maria, yes, he provides all we need and all we enjoy. Beautiful reminder. Thank you!!
{Melinda} I definitely limit my exposure to Pinterest. It can just feel like a “to-do” list that I CAN’T do! Ack. I avoid site, even Christian mom sites, that somehow (my issue, not anything wrong with the site) that make me feel jealous or inadequate. And I continually ask God to purify my heart — which can hold such wrong motives and priorities.
Beautifully written post … thank you for reminding us to guard our hearts.
Melinda, asking God to purify our hearts is essential. . .daily. If we ready our hearts in this way before we engage with any outside influencers, we will protect ourselves from the lies of the enemy. Thank you for sharing!
What a beautiful post full of great reminders.
Thanks for reading!
Oooh, I love this. I often get overwhelmed looking at magazines and Pinterest. I am not gifted in creativity in that way, so it is a struggle for me to make my little nest the way I want it to be and feel. I get caught in the comparison trap because don’t those articles and pins make it all look so easy?! When I find myself getting to that point, I take a break. I really love your idea of remembering Who the best source of inspiration is.
Andrea, I am with you friend. I am so not creative . . . or at least it’s a stretch for me to be. Taking a break is so important at times. Thanks for sharing. Great to connect with you!
Good word. Comparison is such a torture tool if we are unguarded. Healing in Jesus frees us up to be the women He created. The most creative, the Creator held nothing back when He formed each one of us. what if we believed that??!!
Thank you for sharing your gift with us!
Alyssa, “torture tool” I love that. What a great picture of what it can do to us. Love these thoughts. Thanks for sharing!!
Wow, a big AMEN from me! Thank you for the timely reminder. Can I share with my Bible study sisters quote of yours that you replied to a reader in this post above? It is: “Asking God to purify our hearts is essential daily. If we ready our hearts in this way before we engage with any outside influencers, we will protect ourselves from the lies of the enemy.”
Thank you for your blog (love it), & graciously sharing yourself this way, which just spreads the love & sisterhood all around. 🙂
Thanks Sheila. Please do share with the women in your group. It’s so good to know we all feel this way right? A great reminder to just cut off those thoughts next time we battle them. We’re all in this together! Blessings to you!
Thank you for you that great reminder to keep things in perspective when flipping through magazines, using social media or even shopping at the stores. Being that I am a visual creature with lots of unreleased creativity, I often get distracted by comparison (and honestly envy at times). I need that reminder that before I engage in those “inspirational” activities that my mind and heart should be Christ focused. When I’m confident and thankful about His blessings in my life, then I can appreciate those things that others have as well as what I need to contribute to make the world around me beautiful. Thanks again for your honest and relevant articles of divine inspiration 🙂
Thanks for sharing Z. I know that as you continue to ready your heart before you engage, he will bless you with overflowing creativity that will in turn bless others. Great to connect with you here!
Stephanie,
I don’t do much social media. I get on Facebook once in a while, but no Instagram, twitter, tweet, Pinterest. I am not a perfectionist. My motto is Martha Stewart doesn’t live here. I enjoy a nice clean home with a few decorations.
Knowing that ALL I have comes from God and I am thankful for that. I have a thankful journal that I write in daily to remind myself of the good things God has given me and not worry about what I don’t have.
Blessings 🙂
My heart responds to those glossy spreads in the home magazines, too. ‘Love the way decorators can bring together color and texture to create cozy interiors. To find similar items and copy those spreads would be relatively easy–if money were no object. The challenge and the FUN is to become a gleaner, much like Ruth in the Bible. But instead of barley, we glean bargains! And I am quite sure God helps in the search. The result is not a look-alike living room but a one-of-a-kind space that becomes a conversation-starter: “Oh, you like that chair? Let me tell you how God helped me find it!”
I don’t have a Facebook account for this very reason. I never get up from a Facebook session feeling better or more complete. But time spent with GOD? Oh, yes, I feel fulfilled and whole after that.
That feeling of not measuring up or lacking really isn’t welcome in me. God has been drawing me closer to Him, and He’s changing me from the inside out. I recognize that God is the center, my husband and my kids next. If I keep things in this order, my life works and I lay hold of peace and joy.
I am careful what I look at, read, listen to and entertain. The Word says in Hebrews 12:2 that we are to”look away from all that will distract to Jesus.” This has become a way of life for me. It doesn’t mean that I can’t have fun, watch TV, read books or decorate my home. It does mean, though, that the balance cannot be undone. Jesus at the center always and my life and completeness will remain intact.
He’s willing and able to fill us in all the ways we need and even in the ways we don’t understand enough to ask for.
Thanks for the post. So very relevant and timely.