“Me Time” is a phrase we hear a lot. Yet as moms, we often feel guilty spending time on (or by) ourselves.
While it is true we have an immense responsibility to care for the precious lives God has allowed us to nurture for Him, like a car without gas, if we are out of fuel, no one goes anywhere–we’re all stuck.
Spiritually speaking, it isn’t at all selfish to make sure we spend time alone with God every day. He doesn’t consider us self-absorbed if we ask Him first to bless us. How can we help our kids grow in the Lord if our own progress is stunted due to lack of time spend in the Word and prayer?
In Genesis 32:26, Jacob boldly asked for a blessing. “Then the man said, ‘Let me go, for it is daybreak.’ But Jacob replied, ‘I will not let you go unless you bless me.’” He sought the hand of God, and he was blessed. Later the Word tells us that God loved Jacob.
The Lord is pleased when we spend time with Him. It makes Him happy when we stop in our busy days to commune with and draw closer to Him. Personally, I’ve always found mornings to be best for uninterrupted time spent with God–either before everyone gets up or when the kids are napping or at school.
Once I get my spiritual gas tank refueled, I’m in a better position to deal fairly with my family. I have more patience, clearer vision into the real issues, and can rationally and calmly discipline when necessary.
Is there any mom who hasn’t cringed even a little bit when the flight attendant says to, “secure your own oxygen mask first, and then assist the other person”?
We think, “I’d make sure my child gets oxygen first, and then I’d get my own.”
Yet, have any of us ever really been in that situation? Maybe there honestly wouldn’t be enough time to get your mask on if you tried to put your child’s on first. We all know children aren’t always cooperative when we simply try to wipe their mouths or noses!
So, worst case scenario, our kid gets oxygen and we pass out. What good are we then? Besides, don’t our children respond to example? Remember the old saying, “Children learn better by what is caught than by what is taught.”
In 1 Chronicles 4:10, Jabez prays for himself. “Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, ‘Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.’ And God granted his request.”
God wants us to pray for ourselves first. We pray for wisdom, knowledge, understanding, and discernment. We pray for God to bless us so we can be a blessing to others. That isn’t selfish; that’s simply “Me Time” well spent!
About Kelly Stigliano
Kelly J. Stigliano has been writing and speaking for over 3 decades. She and Jerry have celebrated more than 30 wedding anniversaries together—all proof of God’s redemptive power! Kelly made bad choices for years and shares the lessons she’s learned along the way, hoping to keep others from making the same mistakes. Because no one benefits when we wear masks, she tries to stay transparent. “Everyone has skeletons in their closets, but my closets don’t have doors on them!”
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