Self Care

Then Jesus got up early in the morning when it was still very dark, departed, and went out to a deserted place, and there he spent time in prayer. 

Mark 1:35

 

It creeps in slowly.  At first we are able to manage without slowing down.  And it builds a little at a time.  Before we realize it, the feeling of being overwhelmed crashes on us and we wonder what we can do to find relief.  To be honest, somewhere along the line we have been taught that taking care of your spirit was selfish, so we push forward.

 

The fact of the matter is that spiritual self-care is absolutely VITAL!  Jesus made sure to take time to restore, and insisted His Disciples did as well.  Jesus shows us a way to prevent stress and the feeling of being overwhelmed. He was the sinless Son of God, but He often went away by Himself to get away from large crowds—even from those that needed His help and healing (Mark 1:35). At times He retreated even from His disciples. Other times, He retreated with His disciples: “Because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest’” (Mark 6:31). It was not selfish of Jesus to get away from people and commune with God. It was wise of Him to seek time for His disciples to rest, as well. We can rightly assume it is okay for us to spend some time alone, too, if we are feeling overwhelmed by people and responsibilities. It is interesting to note that Jesus also enjoyed great inner peace because of His trust in God.  

 

Take time to restore your relationship with Abba and rest in Him.