Lindsay Mercado No Comments

Do you ever feel like you’re running on fumes, just trying to get through another day, exhausted from your responsibilities?

Maybe you’re feeling desperate for a day off, a vacation, or a night at home to binge-watch Netflix and eat away the stress of life.

I’ve been there.

Worn out, overwhelmed, and in serious need of rest.

The world is big on self-care, so in an attempt to recharge from my exhaustion, I’d take a break for a coffee date with a friend, read a fiction novel, or take a day trip. The problem is, whenever I came back from whatever self-care I indulged in, I was always thrown right back into the very thing I needed a break from in the first place.

The self-care didn’t fix the problem or make it so I handled it better, it was simply a temporary escape from my life.

If you’ve tried the world’s version of self-care and found that it was really only an escape from reality, satisfying a craving, or treating yourself, only to be thrown back into whatever you needed a break from in the first place just as stressed out and overwhelmed as before, you’re not alone.

As Christians, our goal in self-care is not to escape our life, it’s to live our life better. To have joy, perseverance, and a really deeply rooted relationship with God. Finding a sustainable rhythm in your life, and having a community that surrounds you when you need it. 

Things the world is not pursuing.

In this series, we’re looking at five ways we can practice self-care as a Christian.

In the last video, we talked about Sabbath as a means of self-care, and today, we’re talking about Scripture. 

SCRIPTURE

Spending time reading God’s word every day. This is honestly something I’ve struggled with for most of my life. Having a daily time set aside to read the Bible hasn’t come naturally to me, but over the last year and a half, I have made it a priority and seen a radical change in my life because of it.

I’ve heard so many people say that they just don’t understand the Bible, that it’s too confusing or weird, or that they would just rather listen to sermons or podcasts and read books from other people explaining it.

I’ve felt that way before, but after seeing first-hand the effect it has had in my life, I absolutely think it is necessary that we as Christians read the word of God.

Hebrews 4:12 – “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

If you think the Bible is boring or too hard to understand, I would challenge you to recognize that it was made for you. God, in His sovereignty, decided that this is the means He would use to tell us His story and reveal His character to us. He could’ve done it a million other ways in His infinite creativity, and yet, this is what He chose.

The word is alive and active. It’s not outdated, too complicated, or unnecessary. It is a way for God to communicate with us.

We need it to convict us.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been convicted in the very best way while reading my Bible.

Back when I had just quit my job and was trying to figure out what to do next, I considered going back to work or starting a business, or doing freelance work. 

All the while, I was reading Exodus where the Israelites had just been brought out of slavery in Egypt and were complaining that they should just go back instead of being in the wilderness. As they built an idol to worship and complained about how hard it was, I recognized the Holy Spirit calling me out for doing the same thing. 

I wasn’t going to start a business because I thought God was calling me to, I was going to build my own idol instead of trusting Him. I wasn’t considering going back to work because God was leading me in that decision, I was just too afraid of what my wilderness was going to look like and wanted to go back to the familiar.

It was such a sweet and needed nudge from God to say, “See how they are feeling just like you do, and watch how I’m stepping in and providing for and leading them. I have you too.”

We need it to correct us.

The Bible also corrects our understanding of God’s character. 

A. W. Tozer said, “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.”

Reading God’s word teaches us an accurate view of who God is.

If we are not reading the Bible, we will only see the side of God that was highlighted in the last sermon or podcast we heard.

We might only see God’s wrath, His holiness, His grace, His love, His jealousy, His generosity, or His mercy.

As we read His word, we begin to understand God in His entirety rather than just one side at a time.

What does this have to do with self-care?

It is essential for our faith to be rooted deeply in the truth found in scripture, for our view of God to be accurate, and for us to be convicted when we start to stray off-course.

If self-care is meant for us to be better, feel better, and live better and our faith is the most important part of our life, then we need to be connected to the source of Truth every single day.

But maybe you struggle to read the Bible. Maybe you’ve never really understood it or can’t say you really enjoy reading it.

Have you ever seen someone who has been consistently working out and they’re seeing amazing results and it makes you want to too?

 If you’re struggling to feel the desire to read the Bible, I think the same principle applies that we can be inspired by someone else’s love for the word of God. 

Psalm 119 is a poem about delighting in and living according to God’s word. I think it a sweet detail that this chapter about loving God’s word also happens to be the longest chapter in the Bible.

Here’s what the Psalmist says:

Psalm 119:1-2: “How happy are those whose way is blameless, who walk according to the Lord’s instruction! Happy are those who keep his decrees and seek him with all their heart.”

Psalm 119:11: “I have treasured your word in my heart so that I may not sin against you.”

Psalm 119:18: “Open my eyes so that I may contemplate wondrous things from your instruction.”

Psalm 119:25: “My life is down in the dust; give me life through your word.”

Psalm 119:28: “I am weary from grief; strengthen me through your word.”

Psalm 119:35: “Help me stay on the path of your commands, for I take pleasure in it.”

Psalm 119:44: “I will always obey your instruction, forever and ever.”

Psalm 119:50: “This is my comfort in my affliction: Your promise has given me life.”

Psalm 119:71-72: “It was good for me to be afflicted so that I could learn your statutes. Instruction from your lips is better for me than thousands of gold and silver pieces.”

Psalm 119:77: “May your compassion come to me so that I may live, for your instruction is my delight.”

Psalm 119:81: “I long for your salvation; I put my hope in your word.”

Psalm 119:97: “How I love your instruction! It is my meditation all day long.”

Psalm 119:105: “Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path.”

Psalm 119:111-112: “I have your decrees as a heritage forever; indeed, they are the joy of my heart. I am resolved to obey your statutes to the very end.”

Psalm 119:125: “I am your servant; give me understanding so that I may know your decrees.”

Psalm 119:130: “The revelation of your words brings light and gives understanding to the inexperienced.”

Psalm 119:140: “Your word is completely pure, and your servant loves it.”

Psalm 119:147-148: “I rise before dawn and cry out for help; I put my hope in your word. I am awake through each watch of the night to meditate on your promise.”

Psalm 119:160: “The entirety of your word is truth, each of your righteous judgments endures forever.”

Psalm 119:165: “Abundant peace belongs to those who love your instruction; nothing makes them stumble.”

I want to love God’s word the way this Psalmist does. To understand who God is, to love the instruction, to delight in correction. 

Verse 105 says that God’s word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. 

A lamp that is not turned on is useless. A light that is not picked up cannot shine on the path.

We have to get into God’s word to see its benefits in our lives. 

I’ve never once regretted spending time reading the Bible, but I have regretted when I let the day go by and I never open it up. 

So I would challenge you in your efforts to take care of yourself, instead of reaching for the TV remote or a fiction novel which only serves to distract you, open God’s word and see how it will actually shape and change your life.

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