Checking In Vs. Checking Out

Recently I’ve found myself wanting to check out. I want to shut down, unplug, and hope that all of this just goes away. Comfort has become the god I crave. I bow to the shrine of safety comfort provides, believing that if I can check out of this chaos, I will stay safe.

I’ve realized now that I’ve lived in the illusion that comfort will be consistent, and that I can control my safety. Learning that this is a bold-faced lie makes me want to hide from reality.

Are you tempted to check out? Oh, my dear friend, I hear you! We all want this to end, but what if God has plans to use us to display His goodness even now? Checking out might numb our discomfort for a moment, but checking in will make an impact for eternity.

So how do we check in? 

Get honest with God about how this current pandemic makes you feel. Let Him know if you are scared, mad, or apathetic. Ask Him to awaken you to what He longs to reveal to you during this time. Checking in with God throughout your day allows us to remember that we are safe and we are His.

Check in to God’s word. Spend time in His word daily. Write it on your walls, hide it in your hearts, and speak it to those around you. If you don’t have a Bible, we’d love to send you one! Email us at info@awifelikeme.com and we will get one to you.

Check in with others. Ask your husband how he is doing. Ask him if there is one thing you could do to help him face the days ahead. Share with him how you’re feeling, and invite him to help you as well. Check into your marriage by reminding him you are on the same team..

With your kids, check in by getting on their level. Look into their eyes and let them know how very loved they are. Remind them that they can come to you as they have their own thoughts and fears.

Check in with one another. A simple text, phone call, or on-line meeting can be a great way to remind each other that we are not alone. Hebrews 10:24 (MSG) reads, “Let’s see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out.” We might need to be inventive here ladies, but we can trust that God will show us ways that we can stay connected with him, our families, and each other. 

God is whispering that instead of checking out, we can instead check in. Check in with Him, His word, and His way. It’s the only way we can remind ourselves that this world isn’t all there is, and that through this, we have an opportunity to display His goodness to those around us. Even now, we are living for something that is way beyond ourselves.

Wife Step: Take a minute right now to check in with God. Spend this next minute sharing your honest feelings with Him, and ask Him to meet you there and grow in you the desire to keep checking in, not out.

Amy Walkup is in the final stages of completing her degree as a professional counselor. She is passionate about sitting with others in the midst of their pain and difficulties in order to find the place where God is working to bring restoration and transformation. Amy desires to see women, men, and families transformed by the grace of God. Living in rural Minnesota with her farming husband and two sets of twins, she continues to learn more about the grace of God and how this grace allows God’s children to be made new.