Be Kind to Yourself

Daily Devotional – Friday, October 27, 2023
Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things.
Luke 10:41 (NKJV)

Martha was like many of us. She was addicted to service. If she lived today, she would be the indefatigable preacher who spends much of her time ministering to the spiritual needs of her congregants. Indeed, she would devote more time to ministry than to her family.

Love Yourself

The modern Martha is the workaholic who dedicates his time to serving people in the office, the kind that has early mornings and late nights. When duty calls, this untiring worker will carry work home and devote the weekends to labour. Rest becomes a luxury.

Martha is the mother who devotes her life to giving her family the best life can offer while neglecting herself. She would rather walk naked or barefoot but ensure her children are well-dressed. Everyone comes first. She comes later.

Think About Yourself

Well, there is nothing wrong with serving others. Jesus actually urged us to minister to the needs of others, but He also told Martha, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things.” (Luke 10:41). You see, this noble woman was busy serving her guests while her sister Mary sat at Jesus’ feet, listening to the Lord.

Jesus advised Martha, “But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:42). From a human point of view, Mary was selfish. To Jesus, though, she had made the right decision to take time off serving others to nourish her soul by communing with Jesus.

Be Kind to Yourself

We often behave like Martha and are not gentle with ourselves. The needs of others are more important than ours. We do not create time for personal nourishment. While serving others is good, we do it at the expense of our own spiritual, emotional, social, and physical development.

Be kind to yourself. You have a life to live and enjoy. Take time off a busy schedule to rejuvenate. Reconnect with your thoughts, feelings, plans, and dreams. Take a trip or vacation to fulfill a lifetime dream. Enroll in that academic or professional course you love. More importantly, practice spending time alone with Jesus to recharge your life batteries.

Prayer
Lord Jesus, teach me how to be kind to myself by creating time for leisure, rest, rejuvenation, prayer, and communion with You.