Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Take Care of Yourself

"Building up yourselves." Jude 1:20

Listen: "A woman came to Him having an alabaster flask of very costly fragrant oil, and she poured it on His head...but when His disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying 'Why this waste?'...When Jesus was aware of it, He said ...'She has done a good work'" (Mt 26:7-10 NKJV).

Try to learn from Jesus! Allow the oil of service you pour on others to be poured on you, otherwise you'll burn out. This isn't a license for self-indulgence but rather a call to do what needs to be done to restore our depleted energy and exhausted spirit. You'll never reach your highest potential if you don't.

Furthermore, people usually treat you like you treat yourself. So start treating yourself better! It's good to serve others, but too many of us are hiding behind serving others to avoid having to serve ourselves, or because we don't know how.

How can you fulfill the command to "love your neighbor as yourself", if you haven't a clue how to love and take care of yourself? Too many of us become secretly resentful of the endless responsibilities and needs dumped on us each day, while seemingly no-one takes time to give back. Ultimately you have to make deposits where the world you live in seems to make endless withdrawals, or else face insufficient funds. Pretty soon those checks are bouncing everywhere: morally, emotionally, sexually and spiritually. Who'll give back to you if not you? So, the word for you today is: "Allow the oil you pour on others, to be poured on you!"

When you take care of others but not yourself, you: (a) become spiritually and emotionally drained; (b) become resentful because your needs go unrecognized and unmet; (c) end up looking for oil in all the wrong places. That's what drove Samson to Delilah's house. She gave him a place to relax and let down his hair, and then exploited it for his destruction. When we look to others to pour the oil on us rather than learning to pour it ourselves, we end up giving a foothold to the enemy. Don't let that happen to you! Start taking better care of yourself spiritually, physically and emotionally!

CHALLENGE:  Do something today to care for yourself. Listen to your favorite song, walk outside and breathe in fresh air or perhaps a chat with a friend. 

3 comments:

  1. You are right - we must be filled to pour out :) Even Jesus needed some quiet time with the Father to be refreshed before going out to do ministry! Sometimes we can get so caught up in the ME time we can forget to include Christ in the process. Set aside some time to be refreshed and allow the Spirit to do a work in and through you. The sabbath is a must and something we must plan into our schedule. My husband has a saying... REST leads to REVELATION! So true :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. My life has been in a place where I have looked to others to build me up. It has also been to a place where it looks to self to build self up. I have found that both leave me empty. Jeremiah 2:13 states it best:

    “My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me,the spring of living water,
    and have dug their own cisterns,broken cisterns that cannot hold water."

    In trying to build up self or go to others I was empty and easy prey for the enemy because I was full of holes...I was a broken cistern, forsaking the Lord.

    My heart is burdened by the worldly philosophy that pushes in a direction, even though well meaning, to look first to self. It is contrary to all the word of God.

    The answer to "Who will give back to you if not you?" is God! Jude 1:20 doesn't end with a period after "building up yourselves." There is the answer, the living water the "oil" to be poured out on you and on me after that word "yourselves."

    "But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit,keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life." Jude 20-21

    I pray that those of you that find yourselves empty and needing to be filled up will turn to the Lord. Make time to seek His living water that will never leave you thirsty.

    ReplyDelete