Keep Breathing

If you exercise or participate in any athletic activities, you know the importance of breathing to keep oxygen going to the mind and body. We don’t really think about breathing, we just do it. But during physical exertion, we can become so focused on the activity at hand, our breathing becomes shallow. We need the reminder to take deep breaths and keep breathing.

“Make sure you’re breathing!”

It was during this reminder when I realized I need to think about breathing at other times as well.

When the stress in life is mounting…

When nothing seems to be going the way I hoped…

When I feel alone…

When fear begins to grasp at me…

When the future looks bleak…

Be still, and know that I am God! (Psalm 46:10 NLT)

I need to breathe. And let God be God.

When I feel overwhelmed…am I trying to do everything on my own? Or am I breathing and giving my troubles to God? I know He is bigger than all of my trials and will guide me through whatever comes.

Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall. (Psalm 55:22 NLT)

When I feel alone and start down the path of worry and despair…am I panicking? Or am I taking a deep calming breath, remembering that God will never leave me?

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. (Deuteronomy 31:6 NIV)

When my future looks uncertain…am I focused on the what-ifs? Or am I focused on breathing so I can think clearly and let God’s promises fill my mind?

Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes. (Matthew 6:34 The Message)

God knows me better than I know myself. He knows the desires of my heart, what I need, and what is to come. Therefore, I will keep breathing and let God be God.