Following Jesus on Pinterest….His most Beloved Posts!

 Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.  Be sober-minded; be watchful.  Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.  Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.  1 Peter 5:7-9 ESV

 

“Take time to do what makes you happy.”

“Self-Care is how you take your power back.”

“Put yourself at the top of your To-Do list.”

“You owe yourself.”

 What do all these sayings have in common?  They are not accurate.  They are ways for the prowler to divert your attention from the truths that will change your course and put you back into the swing of everlasting peace.

We do not cast our anxieties, our hurried schedules, our sick bodies and minds on Him by focusing on ourselves.  It is a trick of the hand, smoke and mirrors, the great bait and switch.

I recently ran across a list of “Healthy Self-Care Strategies” on Pinterest.  It included such things as:

• Watch your favorite movie
• Burn your favorite candle
• Take a bubble bath
• Buy yourself flowers

I wonder what things God would put on His Self-Care Pinterest Board?

Seriously, let’s look at the ultimate source of the most “Pinned” quotes (aka scriptures) about healthy self-care.

“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:41-42 NIV

No matter what, self-care can be hard for us in this busy, hurried world.  We live in a time where business and full schedules are glorified.  We judge ourselves and others by what is accomplished in life, at least by what we see being done.

I personally struggle with people knowing that I am intentional about having down time, quiet time, Sabbath time.  I am afraid they will think that I am selfish or lazy.  I bet it was hard for Mary to choose to sit at the feet of Jesus while Martha was up rushing around.

But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. Luke 5:16 NIV

I find it interesting that the word “lonely” is used here.  I find that the life of a quiet, introvert, writer, lover of quiet time person is often lonely.  Is that a bad thing?  Maybe not.  It requires me to be intentional about my connection with God to fill that void in my heart that sometimes fills lonely. It was in moments of loneliness that I developed my quiet time habit.

Last year I created my own Soul Retreat(click to link to the previous post about this) – Soul Retreat is about experiencing the presence of God.  It is time spent away from the business of the day and reconnecting with God in worship, word, and prayer.  It is my quiet time.

“….in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.’” (Exodus 31:17 ESV)

God has given us time for a welcome, refreshing rest from our weekly labors, a time during which we no longer must be absorbed in our ordinary daily cares and concerns—a time for spiritual rejuvenation.  It is called the Sabbath.

There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience. (Hebrews 4:9-11)

 So, back to our first list off Pinterest, the one with fun things like watching a movie, burning a candle, taking bubble baths and buying ourselves flowers.  These things will probably renew us and make us happy for a while, and that is fine, maybe even good – but don’t substitute the world’s view of healthy self-care for God’s view of what will renew us!  Let’s remember the Sabbath!

Heavenly Father bless my time at your feet, I want to choose what is better.  Be with me in my quiet time and let my worship honor you.  Thank you for creating a time to rest from our work.  Let us make every effort to enter that rest so that we will not fall.  Lord, hear my prayers.  Amen