Be Real
Today's Reflection
YOU MIGHT WONDER WHY I would want you to know about my story. Why would I want to share my journey when it means admitting that I don’t have it all together? The reason is because I believe with all my heart that vulnerability and authenticity are the only way to find wholeness in Jesus Christ. We’re not meant to gloss over or skim the surface, pretending our way through life. Jesus invites us to be real with him and with one another. Within [the pages of Soul Reset] are stories of my depression, despair, burnout, and shame. I’m not here to tell you that followers of Jesus will always have big houses, pain-free living, and all the happiness in the world. It’s just not true. I’m not here to tell you that leaders, regardless of the scope of their public platforms, have it all together and never suffer pain, loss, or sadness. I am here to tell you that I believe in the holistic, healing love and salvation in Jesus Christ, who walks with us in the valleys and brings beauty from ash heaps again and again and again. I am here to tell you that I have been on the mountaintops and in the valleys, and I have discovered that we need a reset in our souls. We need to share stories so that others will too. When we’re free to be real, that’s when the real joy comes.
—Junius B. Dotson
Soul Reset: Breakdown, Breakthrough, and the Journey to Wholeness Upper Room Books.
Today's Question
How can we create a community where we can be authentic and honest about our struggles as well as our joys?
Today's Scripture
“Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him My Savior and my God.”
—Psalm 42:11 (NIV)
Prayer for the Week
“O God, you are my God, I seek you, my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” Psalm 63:1 (NRSV) Submit your prayer to The Upper Room or share it in the comment section.
Something More
Click here to watch a video featuring Rev. Junius B. Dotson sharing about Soul Reset.
Lectionary Readings
(Courtesy of Vanderbilt Divinity Library)
Looking for lectionary-based resources? Learn more about The Upper Room Disciplines.
Sponsored by The Upper Room. Copyright © 2019 | PO Box 340004 | Nashville, TN 37203-0004 | USA
4 Comments | Join the Conversation.Only Look to Jesus
Today's Reflection
IN ORDER TO RESET OUR SOULS and experience the wholeness we crave, we need only look to Jesus. He showed us how to be in ministry, how to work long hours, how to address the needs and expectations of many people, all while staying connected to God. He knows that it’s all too easy to get burned out on religion. He knows that taking a real rest is rarely easy to do. He knows that we need to recover our lives. He knows how we feel and what we go through because he has lived it. God came to us in Jesus Christ and walked our steps, felt our feelings, experienced everything that we go through. He is the path to wholeness.
—Junius B. Dotson
Soul Reset: Breakdown, Breakthrough, and the Journey to Wholeness Upper Room Books.
Today's Question
What does a life of wholeness look like for a Christian believer?
Today's Scripture
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.”
—Matthew 11:28-29a (The Message)
Prayer for the Week
“O God, you are my God, I seek you, my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” —Psalm 63:1 (NRSV) Submit your prayer to The Upper Room or share it in the comment section.
Something More
Click here to watch a video featuring Rev. Junius B. Dotson sharing about Soul Reset.
Lectionary Readings
(Courtesy of Vanderbilt Divinity Library)
Looking for lectionary-based resources? Learn more about The Upper Room Disciplines.
Sponsored by The Upper Room. Copyright © 2019 | PO Box 340004 | Nashville, TN 37203-0004 | USA
5 Comments | Join the Conversation.A Hard Stop
Today's Reflection
MY DEFINITION OF A SOUL RESET is a hard stop of chronic busyness; a deep look inward and an intentional look to God; and a new, more holistic journey forward that more closely resembles an abundant life into which Jesus calls his disciples. A soul reset is the pouring out of one’s self to God. It means laying yourself at the altar and earnestly seeking God’s face. It means a season of fervent praying and fasting. It includes finding new and meaningful ways to connect with Jesus, the lover of our souls.
—Junius B. Dotson
Soul Reset: Breakdown, Breakthrough, and the Journey to Wholeness Upper Room Books.
Today's Question
How does the idea of taking a pause, looking deep inside yourself, and reaching out for God resonate within your soul?
Today's Scripture
“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul.”
—Psalm 23:1-3a (NIV)
Prayer for the Week
“O God, you are my God, I seek you, my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” —Psalm 63:1 (NRSV) Submit your prayer to The Upper Room or share it in the comment section.
Something More
Lectionary Readings
(Courtesy of Vanderbilt Divinity Library)
Looking for lectionary-based resources? Learn more about The Upper Room Disciplines.
Sponsored by The Upper Room. Copyright © 2019 | PO Box 340004 | Nashville, TN 37203-0004 | USA
9 Comments | Join the Conversation.