Mark 6:30-32 – “The apostles gathered together with Jesus; and they reported to Him all that they had done and taught. 31 And He said to them, ‘Come away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest a little while.’ 32 And they went away in the boat to a secluded place by themselves.
In Mark 6, the disciples had been sent out on mission by Jesus and when they came back, he told them they needed to get away into a secluded place and rest for a little while. Jesus knows the world will keep on turning even if we take some time off to get rest and rejuvenation. He can handle it! In the words of Dr. Henry Cloud, ‘It’s OK to have some time to yourself, give yourself a break, rest, honor how you’re feeling, assess your needs or get away for a little while.’
Self-care is important to productivity. The problem in our fast-paced world today is that we have made a god of productivity over emotional, spiritual, and physical health. It is easy to run on empty and to feel guilty about looking to get away to be recharged. While you try to keep going on caffeine and other’s expectations, eventually you will slow down because your health will break down.
When you think about 2021, what are you doing to ensure that your needs are being met? How are you thinking about self-care? What does time for yourself look like? Nobody is going to naturally give you the proper boundaries that you need for self-care, you must respect yourself enough to set those boundaries.
When we look to Jesus and are being led by the Holy Spirit, He will give us proper rhythms to operate out of a place of overflow. If we do not take the time to assess our rhythms, we will end up in a place prone to sin and breakdown.
Heavenly Father, my Lord Jesus Christ, thank you for the Holy Spirit to help me know when to work hard and when to rest. As I go into a new year help me, Father, to follow your lead to live out of a place of overflow. In Jesus’ name, Amen.