Our theme for this month: “Take care of each other”
Our Bible verse for today: “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer.” Acts 2:42 (CSB)
Our thought for today: “You need refreshing and renewal”
Taking care of each other is important and it is rewarding, but it can also be exhausting. For most of us, life itself is busy. If, on top of that, you’re the kind of person who pays attention to other people, and therefore you notice when they’re struggling, and if you then go out of your way to help and bless them, after a while you can begin to experience “compassion fatigue”. Taking care of your own issues, and then helping others with their issues as well, can just plain wear you out.
That’s especially true if you’re the caregiver for a sick loved one (which many of you are). It’s common for a caregiver to focus so much on the one they’re taking care of that they forget to take care of themselves.
Yes, taking care of each other can sometimes be labor intensive and it can wear you out. You can find yourself physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually drained. And so, you need to take care of yourself. You need renewal.
This is one of the reasons it’s so important that we not neglect gathering together with our church family each week (Hebrews 10:24-25). It’s a time to come together for study and worship, but also for fellowship too. It’s a time to set-aside the cares of life and to focus on meeting God in group Bible study and in worship. It’s also a time to relax and enjoy the company of your brothers and sisters in Christ. In short, it’s a time of renewal. You can rest and recharge physically, mentally, emotionally, and most of all, spiritually.
I encourage you to attend church this weekend. You need it. You need to be with your church family. Also, if you know of someone in your church family who typically goes over and above in the level of care they provide to others, they probably need renewal even more than you do, so make an extra effort to bless and encourage them while you’re all together at church.
By the way, if you’re in the vicinity of Cumberland County Tennessee this Sunday morning, please visit us at Oak Hill Baptist Church. This Sunday our Sunday School department will be serving a hot breakfast from 9:00-9:50. Instead of our regular classes, we will instead enjoy a time of feasting and fellowship. Plan to join us!
Oak Hill Baptist Church