10-28-23

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
October 28, 2023
As you have heard me talk/write in recent days, we are beginning a new series where I will suggest that self-care is not selfish. With that said, there are some caveats that need to be named. Permanent laziness is not self-care, and choosing to not take care of one’s responsibilities cannot be justified as self-care. I have witnessed people justifying some pretty odd behavior as self-care, and though some of it might just be a reminder of how we are all wired a little differently, self-care is not a smoke screen to hide from what we should be doing. Some people are driven more than others, while some need more sleep than others. So let’s also acknowledge that one person’s self-care may not look anything like someone else’s self-care, but everyone needs to be intentional about their own self-care. In Mark 6:31, Jesus says to his disciples, “Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.” He was encouraging his disciples to take care of themselves, yet sadly, the crowd hoofed it over to where Jesus and his disciples were resting. Sometimes the best-made plans do not provide the self-care we need, and for that reason, it is necessary for us to try something else. Sometimes we need to involve friends who will assist in making self-care happen. In other situations, we might need to get creative and seek alternative ways of achieving the intended goal of self-care. At the end of the day, self-care is about making sure you are the best version of yourself possible. Not only for you, but for those you love and the God to whom you have been called to honor with your life.

God of restoration and healing, assist us in the good work of self-care. Help us to understand what we need as individuals and not what the most recent self-help book tells us that we need. Let us use times like this, prayerful moments with you, to access what is helpful, life-giving, and truly restorative for our bodies and souls. Let us continue to look to Jesus and his compassion. Amen.