It’s so simple. We do it all day, every day. We don’t even think about it. And yet behind the simple practice of breathing, a great principle can be found.

In the same way that the air we need to survive is invisible, so is the God we need to survive. Really all God wants us to do is breathe in and breathe out. He wants us to breathe in his love, acceptance, power and grace. He then wants us to give it away to others.

If all we ever do is breathe in, something is wrong. If we always find ourselves in church services, Bible studies and in other Christian environments, but never in contexts where we’re giving it away to those who need it, there is a problem. Conversely, if we are always trying to give stuff away and serve others, but never taking in anything for ourselves, there is a problem there too.

Breathe in, breathe out. God has so much for us and there is a rhythm that he wants us to live by. God wants us to get our needs met by him. We each have needs. Needs for acceptance, encouragement, value, significance and adventure. It’s not wrong to derive some of these things from the world around us, but God wants to be our primary source for our primary needs. Sin is actually looking to illegitimate sources to get legitimate needs met. For example, God wants us to experience peace and serenity. There is nothing wrong with needing and wanting that. But when someone turns to alcohol for that instead of God, we have sin.

On the other side of the coin, God wants us to give to the world. He wants our lives to have an impact. He wants us involved in high impact ministries that make a huge difference in the lives of others. He wants us to breathe out. The problem comes when that’s all we do. For some reason, many of us have believed the lie that it’s selfish to take care of ourselves. We think that unless we are giving, serving, volunteering or working, we are being lazy. This is not the case. It’s interesting to note that in the order of creation in the book of Genesis, the Sabbath takes place the very next day after man is created. God created us to breathe in before we breathe out. God created us to rest before we work. He wants our work to come as an overflow of his presence and grace in our lives.

Breathe in, breathe out. Which do you struggle with most? Breathing in or breathing out? Here are some ways that I breathe in….prayer, reading, time with friends, taking a walk, exercising, playing golf, having a cup of coffee and just being still. Here are some ways that I breathe out…..teaching, leading a small group, writing, serving my family and my church, going on mission trips and other ways as well.

Breathe in, breathe out. That’s the rhythm that we were created to live by. How are you doing with it?