As iron sharpens iron,
one person sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17)
In my office I have an old grandfather clock that was given to me by my grandparents. On the face of the clock it says, Tempus Fugit, Latin for “time flies.” It’s so true, isn’t it? So, how can we make sure that we don’t waste our lives, but instead live for the Lord with joy and gladness? Moses instructs us in this psalm.
“We are not in control of time, so it is vital in life to understand how we must live in the time we’ve been given. God is beyond time. He is eternal, but ‘at the right time Christ died for the ungodly’ (Rom. 5:6).” - Ligonier
“According to the AP, March Madness ‘generates more wagering than any other event in the United States. The American Gaming Association estimated a record $3.3 billion would be legally bet on the games this year.’” - P&D
‘A recent Wall Street Journal op-ed by a college student noted how sports betting is wrecking the lives of his Gen Z friends. ‘What starts out as a seemingly harmless diversion quickly becomes a trap.’” - Baptist Press
“One definition of ‘overwhelm’ is ‘[to] bury or drown beneath a huge mass.’ While our work might feel like a huge mass we’re buried or drowning beneath, God tells us in Scripture, ‘When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through the fire you shall not be burned and the flame shall not consume you’ (Isa. 43:2).” - TGC
“God creates leisure and work as a means of human flourishing in the world. Principles about leisure and vocation can be drawn from the biblical themes of sabbath, festival, and food throughout Scripture.” - Christ Over All
Read Part 1.
Does self-care have any place in a pastor’s life? Viewed solely from a worldly perspective, it’s questionable. But through a biblical lens, self-care resembles the biblical concept of stewardship.
Self-care sounds like man-centered psychobabble. It feels inherently selfish, contradicting biblical concepts such as self-denial and self-sacrifice. Why would a ministry-minded Christian pay special attention to himself or herself?
Let’s learn what self-care is, then see if any part aligns with Scripture. Perhaps it belongs on the trash pile of worldly philosophies. Or possibly common grace has made mankind instinctively conscious of a healthy practice.
“I was lovingly confronted by a dear friend and fellow pastor that I was not using all my vacation time. In his rebuke, he explained to me the reasons I should be taking every day of vacation the church gives me, which I had never done.” - C.Leaders
“I grew up in a little Baptist church in Arkansas. And like believers everywhere, we had some things exactly right — and a few things profoundly wrong. One of those things was the idea that only formal ministry counts as a calling, and only our pastors and missionaries are truly called.” - Christ Over All
Discussion