YM Devo: Taking Care of Yourself

I know this is a reoccurring theme in some of my posts, but I just led some fellow New Life Christian Church Staffers through this little devotional and thought I would share it all with you all as well.  We can NEVER stop taking care of ourselves.

I’ve been going to counseling for over 2 years now…every other week…focusing on things I needed to deal with.  There were many times my counselor and I would be discussing things and he would challenge me in certain areas.  At times they were tough challenges and I once said to him, “You asked me to do the impossible.  I can’t do it.”  I really believed that.

But my counselor responded and said, “you can’t.  He (pointing to heaven and God) can”.  And with that I left and was challenged and followed through on those challenges.

I talk a lot about being intentional and strategic in our ministries. In many ways it is so exciting to see what all the opportunities and possibilities are.  But in some ways it is scary.  It is stressful.  How can we possibly take our student ministry to the next level?

That is why in order for us to take that next step in our ministries, we are going to have to be intentional.  Wasted motions and activity are only going to distract us from our end goal.

But in order for us to be intentional about our ministries, I believe we have to be intentional with our lives, our personal lives.

God wants to do the impossible.  God can do the impossible.   But again, in order for our ministries to take that next level, we have to make sure we are in check.  We have to make sure we are healthy.

How can we be intentional about ourselves?

• We take care of ourselves:
  • Are you taking care of your body, eating good, resting well, doing things for yourself?
  • 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 – “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”
  • God created you and we need to honor him with who we are and if we allow who we are to “go” and not take care of our bodies by doing things for ourselves, then we are not doing a good job of glorifying God with our body.

• We become honest with who we are:
  • That is not to say that you go and share what you are going through to everyone, but it is as least sharing your hurts, hang-ups or struggles with at least 1 other person.  We need a relationship with a person of the same sex to share with so that we don’t allow sin or crap in our lives to destroy us.  The more we can share honestly with others, the more “light” we can shine in our lives and allow God to work in it.
  • Ephesians 4:25 – “Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.

• We believe in the promises of God
  • Over time it can be easy to say all the great promises of God and the blessings he desires for us, but do you actually believe it?  Or do we just believe those promises are for people who don’t know God yet?  The promises of God ARE for everyone, even ministers.
  • What are those promises of God?  Look them up in the Bible but here are a few…
    • Matthew 11:28-29 –  “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
    • John 1:12 – “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,”
    • Psalm 46:1 – “”God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble.”
    • 1 John 5:14 – “This is the assurance we have in approaching God; that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.”

• We remain in Christ:
  • Psalm 23:1-3 – “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.”
  • 1 John 2:24-25 – “As for you, see that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. And this is what he promised us—eternal life.”

When we take care of ourselves we can best care for our families, community and churches.

This year we are going to be doing some impossible things and with God at our side, we will achieve them.  Because we are hard workers and competent leaders.  But, if we gain the impossible and burn out, lose our identity or fall into a sin, then Satan wins too.

We have to protect who we are and stay grounded in the hope and love of God.

TAKE A MINUTE right now and examine your life.  What changes do you need to make right now to get you more focused on God working in you.  What promise of God do you need to be reminded of today?  Examine your life, latch on to those promises and make those changes because we have to protect who we are and stay grounded in the hope and love of God…for the sake of the Kingdom, our families, our ministries and ourselves.

Thoughts?  Comments? Questions?