Shouldn't we value what Jesus values?
Taking care of your body, your mind, your emotions, your soul isn’t selfish. It’s obedience. It’s stewardship.
Then Jesus called his disciples and told them, “I feel sorry for these people. They have been here with me for three days, and they have nothing left to eat. I don’t want to send them away hungry, or they will faint along the way.” (Matthew 15:32)
Have you ever taken a friend’s word on someone else? Like you've given a person you didn't really know a chance because someone you respect recommended them? Or maybe you tried reading a book outside your normal genre because someone you know said you'd like it.
We all have. And I'm grateful, because I've benefited from it.
That's how the most effective marketing campaigns work, honestly. Word of mouth. If someone you know and trust endorses a person or product, we are more likely to be interested.
When someone you know and respect values something, we tend to value it too. Maybe we don’t understand the value as well as our friend does, but because we value our friend, we care about what he or she cares about.
At least, theoretically. Ironically this seems to break down when it comes to our own personal identities, especially within Christian circles.
Oh sure, we place a great deal of value in what Jesus says matters about sin and grace and faith and the future. We can quote verses all day long about sacrifice and selflessness and the burden of leadership.
If you listen to some religious experts, they'll tell you for sure when the wield will end, who the Antichrist is, and which presidential candidate to vote for. And they'll back it up with scripture. But when it comes to issues of “self-care" or even mental or emotional health, suddenly Jesus has nothing to say?
Sorry, I don't buy that. (Kind of like I don't buy the rest of that stuff either, but that's a soapbox for another day.)
While there may not be a verse that says verbatim, “Thou shall take care of your mental and emotional health,” it is written between the lines in every verse in the Bible.
Even in this passage we’re highlighting today, Jesus cared so much about the people who'd been listening to Him, He didn't want them to feel hungry. He valued them.
Guess what? He values you too. A lot. So much that He was willing to give up His life so that you could live, so that you could have a future, so that you could enjoy a face-to-face relationship with His Father.
Jesus values you enough to care when you’re hungry, when you’re tired, when you’re weary. He cares that you’re carrying heavy weight on your shoulder. He cares that your burdens are too much. He cares that you’re facing challenges that are too big for you.
And if He cares about you, why don’t you care about you?
Taking care of your body, your mind, your emotions, your soul isn’t selfish. It’s obedience. It’s stewardship. It’s valuing something that Jesus values.
Yes, we can cross the line where caring for ourselves can turn into something self-focused, but it doesn’t happen automatically. You don’t become a selfish person because you take a much-needed day off.
Actually, you aren’t even a selfish person when you take a day off BEFORE you need it.
Are you only doing good for yourself? Are you only taking care of yourself? Are you only investing time and energy in what you want without any care for anyone else? Are you refusing to accept personal responsibility for how you've hurt another person? That’s selfishness.
Taking care of yourself is part of being a Jesus-follower. It’s part of placing value on what He values. So maybe it’s time we all started listening to what Jesus cares about. We might be surprised just how much He wants us to love ourselves—because He does.
Questions for Reflection
Why is it so concerning or scary when you think about intentionally loving yourself?
What scares you about it specifically?
Why do you think Jesus loves us so much?
Weekly Memory Verse