That first sip of coffee that touches your soul.  Entering a cool room on a hot day. The fit of laughter shared with friends. The warm embrace of a faraway loved one.  The early morning sunshine after a heavy rain shower.  All of these, and many more, can be described as refreshing.   The word refreshing is exactly how it sounds—that moment when your spirit can take a deep, cleansing breath, and you breathe out with a sense of peace. Refreshing moments are needed so that our cares and burdens do not overwhelm us. 

         Would it surprise you to know that in the Bible, there is a list of actions that are refreshing to others? Proverbs 25 contains a few examples of things that do not refresh the spirit and some that do. Allow me to point out a few that are refreshing:

         Verse 17 – “Withdraw thy foot from thy neighbour’s house; lest he be weary of thee, and so hate thee.”  Don’t be a burden—be a blessing. We all know that kind of person, the one that comes to talk to you, and you need to take a deep breath because you are about to wade through a sea of woes, pictures, and advice you were not looking for.  We should seek to refresh someone’s spirit rather than bring it lower.  Seek to be a blessing, not a burden.

         Verse 27b – “So for men to search their own glory is not glory.” Don’t pat yourself on the back—be humble. Bragging about one’s own accomplishments can be off-putting to those around you.  It is always refreshing to find out an amazing fact or tidbit about a friend.  It raises your respect for the individual; in contrast, the one that always seems to be putting forth their own accomplishments tends to have the opposite effect.

         Verse 28 – “He that hath no rule over his spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls” Don’t blow your top; be the ruler of your spirit. A person that responds correctly is refreshing.  However, when a person has the reputation of “losing it” over everything, the tendency is to avoid them or brace for every interaction. Ruling your spirit is a help to all around you.

          No doubt you can add to the list of things or people that refresh your spirit.  Purpose to be that kind of person today to others and to those in your own family.  A refreshing spirit is a beautiful thing, and a person that refreshes others is a balm to a weary soul.

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Miriam Chung, Christian School Teacher

Mrs. Chung grew up around the work of the ministry and now has the privilege of teaching at the North Valley Baptist Schools. She and her husband faithfully teach young people and are a vital asset to the ministry of NVBC.