Serving a lot? Giving a lot of yourself? Distracted? Worried? Anxious? Frustrated? If these words don’t describe you, they describe me, many times. Too many times for my own comfort. Jesus was visiting some friends of his and had a convo with a lady named Martha who had let her spiritual self-care slip and it began to show negatively in her life. You won’t believe how she did it, by serving.
Can you actually serve too much? Yes, you can. Her little sister Mary wasn’t like that at all, she took care of herself spiritually much better than Martha. Personally, I think most normal people are like Martha and Mary is the person we want to be like.
Look at the story and see what we can learn about proper spiritual self-care.
“As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. 39 Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. 40 But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.” 41 But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! 42 There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38–42 (NLT)
Notice what happens when we fail to care for our spiritual life:
- We begin to think our work and serving is more important than spiritual self-care.
- We work and serve continually expending our energy without genuinely recharging, thus depleting any joy we might have to share with others.
- We start comparing our work and service with others who don’t look like they are serving as hard as we are.
- We become upset, frustrated, angry, bitter, and resentful because our batteries are low and our focus is not on Jesus in the right way.
- We don’t feel we are being treated fairly.
- We get distracted away from God and being in community with others because of our serving.
- We don’t think God cares about how much we are serving.
When we get in this place we need to recognize it and put the brakes on! Our emotions are fractured and our souls are empty. We need to stay filled up on a regular basis by through Spiritual self-care. Look at Mary’s example for proper Spiritual self-care.
How to care for yourself spiritually.
- Walk away from your to-do list and all the distracting work you have to do. There are legit things that must be done, like taking care of the needs of 13 hungry men who just dropped in. They didn’t even text them to let them know. Dominos was closed. Sometimes the things we have to walk away from for a while are extremely important, but we have to care for ourselves in this journey of life.
- Spend extended time at the “feet of Jesus” listening to Him teach you of Himself and His ways. I do this through Scripture reading, meditation, journaling, listening to the audio Bible, Bible study groups, and going to church.
- Still yourself and quieten your mind. Remove yourself from all distractions. I get alone and turn off all of the devices.
- Engage in community with others who are pursuing knowing Christ. You need to hang out with others who are pursuing Christ.
- Focus your attention on Jesus and His words. Let them sink in, read it over and over again. Think about one verse or one passage and ask Him to help you understand it. He will.
Spending time in spiritual self-care will do great things!
- Mary wasn’t bitter, angry, or frustrated. She was calm, peace filled, and encouraged greatly by the things Jesus said, especially those things He said about her.
- You will be blessed by Jesus! Jesus told Martha that Mary was doing the best thing. This is difficult to grasp for us doers.
- Your spiritual battery will be recharged! Your soul will be filled up with the joy, love, and care of Jesus. He will help wash away all of the cares and help strengthen you internally so you can serve with joy, not bitterness.
- God will reward you because your seeking Him will please Him! “And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.” Hebrews 11:6 (NLT)
Your spiritual self-care is NECESSARY.
He said there is only one thing worth being concerned about and Mary discovered it. She is the one being honored as an example to follow. Now, look at the context of this passage. Jesus had just sent out 72 missionaries, preached and taught, debriefed the 72 missionaries, and then this happened with Martha and Mary. He immediately taught on prayer and time with God after this passage. The placement of this passage in Scripture speaks volumes on the emphasis that Jesus is trying to get us to understand how much we need time with Him. Serving expends energy and requires us to spend time with Jesus.
He said without Spiritual self-care we can do NOTHING.
- “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5
He said with Spiritual self-care we can do ANYTHING!
- “But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted!” John 15:7 (NLT)
Take some Simple Steps
So, take time out each day to pursue Christ, simply, quietly, without the distractions. Take some time to read His Word. You can begin in the Gospel of John or Luke. Those are both great places to begin your journey of pursuing Him. Read until you get a verse or passage that arrests your attention and ask Him to help you understand it. Tell him the troubles you are facing and the things you need. He understands all you are going through. Let His life fill yours. You won’t regret it!
Bill Stevens
Lead Pastor at The Well
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