Short and sweet thought for the week…
Our lives are busy and filled with tasks to be done. The world can be a rough, unrelentless place that leaves us tired and weary. The Christian life is one of duty, service, and outreach to others. Sometimes it’s difficult to show love to others, much less ourselves.
However, the Bible says to love our neighbors and ourselves (Mark 12:30-31). So, there is no need to feel guilty for being kind to ourselves. Perhaps we need to be more gentle and forgiving to ourselves, realizing we are a work in progress and a child of God. Maybe we need to take a day off, enjoy a sunset, eat out, look at nature, read a book, or rest to decompress, so God can replenish us.
Jesus was not above taking a nap on a boat, savoring a delicious meal, walking in the mountains, or spending time with dear friends. While doing this, He showed us how to replenishing ourselves so we can have more capacity to devote to others.
Getting rest must be an important part of this process or why would Jesus say, “Come to me all you who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28).”
Being able to rest is a gift from God. He set an example by resting after He created everything (Genesis 2:2-3). God never grows weary, so this was a choice He made. Sometimes it’s a choice we need to make as well. We will never take time to rest if we are waiting for our “to-do” list to get done. Believe it or not, everything does not depend on us. If that were true, we wouldn’t need God.
One of the greatest ways to be kind to ourselves is acknowledging that God is in control of everything, even if we decide to show ourselves a little love by breaking our exhausting routines. God did not intend for us to work ourselves to death. We have time restraints and certain limitations that God does not have. That’s why we can rely on Him to hold things together without our help. God is at work even when we are not.
God gives us permission to be kind to ourselves. Plus, if we are kind to ourselves, we are more likely to be kind to others.
“The merciful man does good for his own soul…” ~Proverbs 11:17
