Self-Care With Jesus
This devotional considers John 4:1-6 and 27-34, Mathew 4:1-4 and Mark 6:30-46.
These days, there’s a lot of emphasis on self-care. Many people are run-down, yet bypass what their bodies and souls need to go on to the next thing. No water, no sleep, no down time. So we tell each other, “when you’re tired, find creative ways to refresh yourself.” This is good advice, but as God’s children, circumstances and timing matter.
Jesus and his disciples did a lot of walking and ministry as they went back and forth stopping in cities and towns in Judea, Samaria and Galilee. John gives us a window into one of these days, writing, Tired as he was from the journey, Jesus sat down by the well while the disciples seemed to have gone for food.
When they got back, they found Jesus ministering to a Samaritan woman who then went to tell her whole town about him. They urged him to eat. Jesus said to them, I have food to eat that you know nothing about…My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. My response, kind of like the disciples’ response would be, okay, but why can’t you eat, though?
When Jesus fasted in the wilderness for forty days and forty nights, the Bible says he was hungry. Of course he was. The devil tempted him to turn stone to bread and Jesus responded, It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ Jesus chose to fulfil the will of the Father over his need for physical sustenance.
Once when the disciples were gathered around Jesus reporting on all they had done and taught, Jesus said to them, Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while. The passage continues saying, For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure to even eat. Self-care. Yes, yes. Jesus is on board with self-care. But they didn’t actually get any rest because five thousand people followed them to that deserted place—five thousand people who needed to eat. And our self-care Jesus turned to his disciples and said, You feed them.
Talk about balance, or not. How do we make the choice to rest when we consider parenting, being a good spouse, ministry and other work needs? I believe part of the answer is checking in with the Lord when you are at the heights of need that causes you to want to send people away as the disciples did. You never know the impact you might have if while tired and weary you decide to trust the Lord to bless you with all these things he knows you need.
After the five thousand were fed, the Bible says, Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. And After saying farewell to them, he went up on the mountain to pray. There it is.
What a beautiful representation of how to walk with the Lord in obedience. After you have done all he requires, he will bless you with what you need, and even pick up your slack if there’s any.
I pray that the Lord help us all to stay on this narrow, fulfilling and rewarding path with him.
Amen.