Biblical Self-CareSample

Biblical Self-Care (Part 3)

While God wants us to sweat, He also wants us to rest. Jesus did. “Then, 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). That’s Jesus Christ preaching and practicing self-care!

Have you experienced the blessing of regular rest? I have. I try to work hard from Sunday through Friday but then be blessed by a full day of rest. It’s hard to protect that time, but every time I do, I can literally feel the relief of rest. My body and spirit start to sense it even on Friday—rest is coming. And rest I do! I spend extra time with my wife. I rarely shave, rarely shower before 10:00 a.m., rarely wear pants that aren’t stretchy. I love it when my daughters come up with an idea—“Dad, can we?”—and the blank schedule makes me say, “Why not?” That’s the kind of rest that I need.

I need to say this to those of you who are compassionate and selfless to a fault: You need rest. Your inner pharaoh will crack the whip and tell you that you’re lazy for sitting down, selfish for sleeping in, sinful for not saying yes to another demand. Resist that slave driver. It is never sinful to be like your Savior. Even Jesus took time to rest.