Love Thyself ???

Mark 12:31

And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.

We all know the story about the Good Samaritan, who cared for the man beaten by thieves, fallen by the wayside and ignored by the priest and Levite. This parable was recited by Jesus when He was asked “Who is my neighbor?” by a lawyer. The Samaritan was the perfect example of loving your neighbor. But what about those 3 little words that we often gloss over?  Too often we overlook this very important aspect. ‘as thy self’. You cannot love your neighbour if you do not love yourself.

Some days I honestly cannot say I love myself. I’m frustrated at the end of the day because I feel my time was taken up doing mundane things that demanded my attention, while my ‘to do list’ smirks on my computer table.

I end up entertaining thoughts of not being good enough and feeling mentally overwhelmed.  Then I go into full gear late into the night, running on empty, trying to do at least a few things on that infamous ‘to do’ list, while I starve my tired body of the rest and sleep it deserves. Anyone relate?

Unfortunately, laborers in the field tend to take on too many roles and mantles, and we feel because it is Kingdom related, that its also God’s perfect will for us. This is where we tend to err in our thinking that God is pleased with our overdriven efforts to serve Him. Especially if you are in a leadership role, you are also in the spotlight and the wellbeing of others becomes priority but at the sacrifice of your own.

Many are the generals of God that have been robbed of their health and mental wellbeing, trying to maintain an overcrowded kingdom related schedule that eventually overpowered them. If the God of the universe rested on the 7^th day from all His work, then surely, do we not need to follow that example?.

Genesis 2:2
And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had made; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made.

Does it really please the Father to see His children worn out, exhausted and fatigued and living a roller coaster life, spreading themselves thin and falling apart at the seams?

It was God that said our body is the temple of the Holy Ghost.
So what does a Godly loving of self look like? As long as you are careful and wise that this self-love doesn’t spill over into conceit, pride and arrogance, you are worthy of selfcare. Your dreams matter, your safety, health and maintaining a balanced mind matter. Your peace and joy is very important to the Father. When you give yourself some TLC you will be able to serve the Lord more fervently and joyfully.

Here’s a list of possibilities you can consider, to slow down the pace.

• Delegate tasks to others. It’s okay to ask for help.
• Schedule a nap occasionally (yes you read that right. It’s not sinful).
• Go on a day trip. Trips to Costco doesn’t count:).
• Hangout with friends.
• Read a book.
• Sit outside and do nothing. Enjoy the peace and quiet.
• Learn that new instrument you’ve always wanted to play.
• Go for a run / walk.
• Watch a movie – (If you are prone to binge watching Netflix, skip this).
• Just chill.

If the Lord said it is the second most important commandment and there is nothing more important than these 2, to love the Lord thy God and to love your neighbor as thyself, then we need to pay heed.

What do you plan to do to slow up the pace and begin to pay attention to your own needs? Send us some feedback so we can learn and grow together.

Let 2023 be a year where we slow down to listen to that still small voice and keep step with the Lord. The results may surprise you.

In His Service,

Sohani Faria

Director
Sound of the Lord Mission