Proverbs 31 as a professional woman - Part 26

Dear loyal readers, I trust you’re blessed and highly favoured.In last week’s article (Part 25), we discussed success principle nine, which says that Proverbs 31 as a professional woman “paces herself, she is able to disconnect to reconnect with herself and she’s well rested”.PACING:Regarding pacing, in Part 25, we got the revelation that it is:"Important to regularly pause and reflect on the speed with which you are moving (in every area of your life) and to consider whether it is sustainable in the long run.Ideally, everyone is in their own lane, running their own race, at their own pace. With this understanding, it’s easier to focus on your focus – in alignment with God’s will for your life.Unfortunately, some people’s pace is determined by how fast others are running (so they’re always trying to catch up and keep up), others don’t care at all and there are those who obsessively try to stay ahead of the race to ensure they are always considered first in everything.”I ended Part 25 with the assurance that Proverbs 31 as a professional woman is aware that by:“Pacing herself, disconnecting to reconnect with herself and making time to rest also allows her to be in alignment with God’s will and to be in step with His pace that He has set for her race.”REST:Someone reading this might be asking: Why don’t we see a scripture talking about Adam resting from his work in the garden of Eden?A fair question.Perhaps the false notion that Adam ‘didn’t rest from his work’ is not evident in Genesis 2 because it’s a misguided assumption that is based on the thinker&#039;s inability to prioritise taking rest from his/her own work.Having modelled rest in Genesis 2:3, it is inconceivable that the same God who rested would deny Adam the opportunity to rest from his work, especially when God repeatedly said it to His chosen people in different scriptures.EXHIBIT A:Not only did God model rest in Genesis 2:3 as a sign that that rest led to His refreshment (Exodus 31:17), He commanded it under Exodus 20:8-11 as part of observing the Sabbath rest on the day set apart as holy for the Lord; He requires rest in and out of season (Exodus 34:21), and in Hebrews 4:1-11 God has a promise of rest for His people.Our Creator prioritises rest for His people, so perhaps it’s time that we created beings started modelling it as well.Notably, in Part 2, I mentioned that although Proverbs 31 as a professional woman:“Is a professional with a demanding job, she doesn’t over-love the job.”In Part 9, I also mentioned that: “She doesn’t allow her professional accomplishments, rewards, status, job title or anything else in her life to compete with God’s love and His glory (2 Corinthians 10:17–18).”Part of the revelation of His glory is in her being rested and refreshed as she does His work, especially in the professional space with its unique challenges and demands.In Part 16, I mentioned that the fulfilment and the:“Success of the Genesis 1:28 blessings that God placed in her requires, amongst other things, her agency, stewardship and cooperation to bring His will and purposes to pass in her life.”In Part 18, I also mentioned that:“Jesus Christ, during His time on earth, also took some time to find rest from His work (Mark 6:31, Mark 2:27, Mark 6:32).”Notably, the quality of rest that I refer to for Proverbs 31 as a professional woman is both spiritual and physical rest, which is found in our Lord Jesus Christ (Mathew 11:28–30).EXHIBIT B:An example of someone who received both spiritual and physical rest was Elijah in 1 Kings 19.In Part 20, I wrote: “In response to Elijah’s distress, did God rebuke or strike Elijah with a plague? Did God ask him to pray harder? To fast more? To keep going? To be more resilient? No, He didn’t.In fact, God’s response to Elijah was a profound display of love and care. God allowed him to find both spiritual and physical rest. He allowed him to sleep, then He sent His angel to bring Elijah food to strengthen him before setting him on another journey that resulted in more sleep before the Lord eventually spoke to him again.With all of this evidence before us, are we still convinced that God doesn’t care about your need for spiritual and physical rest?”DISCONNECT TO RECONNECT WITH HERSELFIn Part 25, I mentioned that: “We sometimes don’t disconnect from the day’s work because, at times, we take it home physically, or we maintain the connection mentally and struggle to reconnect with ourselves (and our loved ones).”How you disconnect from work and how you choose to reconnect with yourself and your loved ones depends on various factors. These factors include, inter alia, your age, your desires, the demands and challenges you face (in your private and professional life) and ultimately the quality of life you want to create for yourself, your loved ones and the lasting impact you want to have on every life you will touch.If you’re struggling in this regard, I suggest you seek guidance from the Lord or find professional help to assist you in recalibrating your life so that ultimately, you take it one day at a time (Mathew 6:34) as you seek to glorify God (1 Corinthians 10:31).In Part 5, I wrote that:“It takes the presence of God and the power of God to produce results and Proverbs 31 as a professional woman relies on both the power of God and the presence of God to excel in every area of her life.When she struggles to be present, she prays that He works the desire and the power within her to do what pleases Him (Philippians 2:13 NLT).”At all times, God is always present; it’s up to you to decide what to do with His Presence.Shalom.DISCLAIMER: &#039;Proverbs 31 as a Professional Woman&#039; under the theme &#039;Embodying and Manifesting Godly Wisdom, Success Principles and Effortless Femininity in the Workplace&#039; is not posited on trying to read the professional woman into Proverbs 31 because this will produce an absurd result. However, I have opted to take a principles-based approach which widens the scope to be applicable to any professional woman – regardless of her age or status.This column has previous articles titled “A New Season”, “Seeing God’s Glory Through My Tears” as well as “Proverbs 31 as a Professional Woman” (the introduction as well as parts 1 to 25) – all published by Namibian Sun.I welcome your comments, inputs, queries or concerns. Kindly address them to spirit.soul.body24@gmail.com

Proverbs 31 as a professional woman - Part 26

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Namibian Sun 2024-11-21

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Proverbs 31 as a professional woman - Part 26

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Namibian Sun 2024-11-21

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