Take better care of yourself

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Selfcare”

Our Bible verse for today: “Dear friend, I pray that you are prospering in every way and are in good health, just as your whole life is going well.” 3 John 2 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Take better care of yourself”

One of the great maladies of our age is that as a society we are too busy and too stressed-out. Korean-born philosopher and cultural theorist Byung-Chul Han once wrote a book about it called “The Burnout Society.” His research revealed that our competitive, multi-tasking, service-oriented society is taking a severe toll on our mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical health. This has resulted in psychological disorders of epidemic proportions, including depression, attention deficit disorder, and borderline personality disorder.

Another consequence that is becoming increasingly evident in our society is the Japanese phenomenon known as “Karoshi” or, “death from overworking.” “Karoshi” does refer to suicides that are directly related to workplace stressors, but it also refers to health issues such as high blood pressure, heart attacks, strokes, and poor lifestyle choices such as alcoholism, bad diet, and lack of exercise (when those symptoms are attributed to working too many hours under too much stress).

“Karoshi” began to show itself in Japanese society in the 1970s and exploded in the 1980s. In recent decades it has spread to developed nations around the world (including ours), until today it is recognized by the World Health Organization and the National Institute of Health as a global health crisis. We are all trying too hard to do too much for too long and we are not taking proper care of ourselves.

This is a spiritual issue. Yes, it is physical, and yes it does have impacts on us mentally and emotionally, but as we will see as this series unfolds, it is very much a spiritual issue as well – with spiritual implications and consequences.

That being the case, and this being the beginning of summer and vacation season, it’s a good time for us to consider this issue. Selfcare is critical, and most of us don’t do a good enough job of taking care of ourselves. We can all do better.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

(If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00 – in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

Share this:

Related

Leave a comment Cancel reply