| Good morning everyone, Our theme for this month: “Selfcare” Our Bible verse for today: “He said to them, ‘Come away by yourselves to a remote place and rest for a while.’ For many people were coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.” Mark 6:31 (CSB) Our thought for today: “Sometimes you just have to stop” There’s a lot for us to consider regarding the various aspects of good selfcare, but I am intentionally starting us out with an extended discussion about the importance of giving ourselves permission to take a break. Most of us try too hard for too long to do too much. Remember the Japanese malady known as “Karoshi” which we considered a few days ago. Death from overworking. That problem doesn’t just come from overworking. It can result from any schedule that is too busy for too long. When we are in such a state, we almost always make excuses about being too busy to stop. That’s why we are considering Jesus’ example in Mark 6:30-32. I remember one time when I was leading a medical and dental mission team in a remote Gypsy village in the Transylvania mountains of Central Romania. There was little access to healthcare in that region and as a result, crowds of people had been coming to us all day. They came from the village, they came from distant farms out in the mountains, they came and came and came. Finally, it was late in the afternoon, our team was exhausted, and there was still a big crowd waiting to see a doctor, or to get a tooth pulled, or to receive medicine. But we realized that we couldn’t go on much longer and there was no way we could see everyone. As the crowd began to sense that, they grew increasingly anxious and they began pushing forward towards the door of the clinic trying to get in. They also started getting louder and louder in their protests about not being allowed in. Finally, it was starting to become a mob scene. Now, I love the Gypsy people but they can be a pretty tough crowd, especially when they get riled up – and this situation was getting ugly. My job as the team leader was traffic control and to try to keep things under control. But I was actually beginning to lose control. Finally, a group of big Romanian men, members of the local churches who had been helping us, intervened to get the crowd under control. After a while the crowd dispersed, but I left there that day very dejected – feeling like we had let the people down. In the van as we were driving away, one of the female Romanian doctors who had been working with us sat down next to me and very gently said, “Pastor Jim, please don’t feel bad about this. We did all we could do. There will always be more needs than any one team can possibly meet in a single day.” That was something like the situation Jesus and His disciples were dealing with in this situation. They had done all they could do and now they needed to take a break. And it was okay for them to take a break. It was even necessary for them to take a break because the fact is if you don’t take care of yourself, you won’t be able to take care of others. The more drained you get the less effective you will become. You cannot give to others what you yourself don’t have. If your gas tank is empty, or you are running on fumes physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually, you won’t have much to give to others. This is about selfcare. It’s essential that we be ministering out of the fullness of our own healthy state of being. You have to take care of yourself so you can take care of others, and sometimes that will mean stopping when there is still more that could be done. 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 |
| Copyright © 2025 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571 |
- Comment
- Reblog
-
Subscribe
Subscribed
Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
Oak Hill Baptist Church 
Timely word! I have read the last three of your blogs on TikTok. I told the people that they can follow you over there (here). They are mostly a more seeing and hearing than reading bunch. But there are a few who still like to read. Reading is so beneficial to our souls. We should all read more.
Blessings pastor Jim for your faithfulness. I appreciate how God is working through you.