In one of my recent posts Battling My Big Bad Buddy, I said that one of my methods of dealing with change was to remember to breathe. I thought that bore a little more explanation; So here goes.
My lead pastor is constantly reminding me to “respond and not react to life.” That is good advice. Too often I shoot from the hip and ask questions later which really needed to be asked in the moment.
My sister as I said has been heard to comment “Breathe in Jesus breathe out peace.” Again that’s good advice. In the midst of big change so often I forget to consult Jesus for his will and direction. As soon as He is not involved peace goes flying out the window.
Finally my mother has always told me that when I am faced with a trying situation I need to stop and count to ten before I say or do anything. This is breathing through at its simplest. But how often do I just flare up with a response before I count?
Breathing through is first a physical response to change. It involves counting to ten. Yes I mean it literally. When your day changes, goes awry, or otherwise drops a bomb on you don’t blow up, BREATHE! Counting to ten has three steps:
1. Stop in your tracks. Whatever you are doing or otherwise going to do stop. Step out of the situation. Leave the room if you have to. Detach.
2. Count to ten slowly in your head…aloud if you have to and focus on the numbers not the situation.
3. As you’re counting take deep breaths. Fill your lungs slowly and completely on the number one. Hold the breath on the number two. Fully release the breath on the number three. Start again on the number four.
By the time you are to ten you should be able to accomplish the next step of breathing through. That is putting off the situation for a bit until you can make a decision through prayerful consideration. Breathing is not something you do when a person is bleeding from an artery in front of you. But most situations are not life-threatening even if they are life-altering. So while the rest of the world wants you to make snap decisions, you need to give yourself permission to retire and consider what you are going to do.
Breathing in Jesus and breathing out peace also has three steps:
1. Take the situation to Jesus in prayer and ask for wisdom. The Bible says: “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” James 1:5
2. Spend time being quiet and listening for God’s voice. Now when I say that most people don;t know how to listen for God’s voice. So here it is.
a. shut up. Stop talking.
b. Pay attention to thoughts and impressions that come into your mind. Give specific attention to Scriptures that pop in and “good ideas” that could bring about a desirous solution.
c. Look into perceived outcomes of the actions your inner dialogue creates. Which of the outcomes can you live with?
3. Ask Jesus to open up the proper pathway and give you peace about the course you see. Be committed to pray until you receive an answer. Don’t give up if God doesn’t tell you everything in the first five minutes. He’s God He doesn’t have to talk fast.
Finally breathing through involves responding not reacting:
1. Get yourself to a place where you can control your emotions before you deal with the change even if you cannot feel good about what you have to do.
2. Don’t go with your first thoughts. They are almost never right. Responding involves weighing out your options and going with the one that is right and best rather than the first thing that comes to mind.
3. Responding involves being spirit-led. Scripture says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. ” Gal. 5:22,23 NIV
When we are responding the fruit of the Spirit will be evident.
Change can be jarring. I know it brings the worst out in me sometimes. It certainly brings out the fear in me. Breathing through helps me to make sure the results of change are beneficial.
How is your breathing going these days?
Reinventing the We'll 
Jay,
Thank you so much for your words of wisdom. Yes, life changes in a second and there isn’t much we can do other than take what we are given and walk forward with Christ. Looking back will not change anything, but moving forward – we always have the opportunity of putting God’s work first in our lives.
Thanks so much for your comment Marge. I respond with the words of Paul the Apostle “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.
Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Phil 3:12-14 NIV If we can just keep “breathing through” we will make it.
Thank you kindly…
This one fell on my toe. (thanks)
Blessings,
ann
Ouch! Sorry ’bout that.
I use the breathing that your wife does. Only I breathe in Jesus’ strength and breathe out fear, breathe in Jesus’ peace breathe out anxiety, breathe in Jesus’ calm breathe out confusion. You get the idea. Works every time—at least every time I stop to do it before I plunge ahead on my own.
That’s always the trick isn’t it? Remembering to breathe is perhaps the hardest part of the whole exercise. SOmetimes I don;t even realize I have forgotten this step until I am half way into a reaction! Thanks for commenting.
This is just what I needed to hear today. Thank you.
You are most welcome Steve! Keep breathing and reading!