Hit the Reset Button

Is it time for you to hit the Reset Button on how you spend time with God? Katherine Catlett shows us how. 

Elisa

Hit the Reset Button

By Katherine Catlett

Do you ever feel like you’ve lost it and have your priorities all mixed up?

And I don’t mean lost it as in you’ve lost your mind (I mean maybe that, but), I mean you’ve lost your drive, motivation, desire to chase after God. Like you’re so busy doing things for God, that you forget to spend intimate, quiet time with God?

You start off with all this momentum, you’re running full speed ahead, completely on fire for the Lord and excited about what’s going to happen next, until you’re not.

You get sick,

your heart gets broken,

you have a fight with your best friend,

you lose a loved one,

you get let go from a job you loved,

and you have a series of rough weeks that leave you feeling empty, depleted, and angry at God.

If this is you, know that you’re not alone. I’m there with you. And every time I end up in survival mode with messy priorities, Luke 10:38-42 always comes to mind.

In this story, we see Jesus hanging out with Mary and Martha for a bit. Martha is runnin’ around trying to get everything ready for dinner, while Mary simply sits at his feet, listening to his teachings and the sound of his voice (Luke 10:39-40). And when Martha starts complaining about Mary not helping her, Jesus says, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:41-42, NLT).

I resonate with both women in this story during different seasons of life. In some seasons, I’m completely captivated by Jesus. Sitting on the floor at his feet is not only a desire of my heart, but it’s a priority. It comes before everything else. But if I’m being completely honest with you, I really resonate with Martha right now. I find myself getting so caught up in doing work for God, that I haven’t been taking enough time to dwell in his presence, listening for his still, small voice. And it’s not that doing work for the Lord is bad. It’s just when our work for God comes before our time with him that we should check in on our priorities.

So if you’re anything like me, exhausted and fighting to spend time with the Lord, remember that you aren't failing because your sink is overflowing with dirty dishes and your clean clothes have been sitting in the dryer for the last three days. If it makes you feel any better, my clothes have been sitting in the dryer for the last four days and I can see an unpacked suitcase out of the corner of my eye as I write this. So I’ve got you beat, lol.

But really, healthy habits and high standards are almost impossible to maintain when life keeps beating you down and you can’t catch a break. I do want to encourage you, though, to take a step back, spend time with Jesus, and hit the reset button. Here are four things that I find life-giving, and might help you as well:

1. Put Scripture on your walls in plain sight. Sometimes our Bible reading routine flies out the window when we’re just trying to survive.

2. Take a nap. Jesus took them, too (Mark 4:38).

3. Get around people who pray for you, speak truth over you, and are willing to help you with the laundry or dishes when you need extra support.

4. Focus on what you can do and the things you can control. If that’s as simple as drinking a lot of water, spending some time with Jesus, and getting yourself out of bed for work, then just do that and celebrate it (and know I’m proud of you!).

As always, this is a piece of my heart. Consider it yours.

Katherine Catlett is the Social Media Manager and Strategist for Reclaim Today, a part of Our Daily Bread Ministries. She graduated in 2022 from Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama. She started writing at 12 years old and has filled up 36 journals (and counting) since then. She has a deep passion for writing, mentoring, and encouraging young women on their journey to become who God has created and called them to be. If you want to read more from Katherine and follow along with her publishing journey, you can follow her on Instagram at klcatlett or visit her website at https://www.katherinecatlett.com/.