2 Corinthians 8:12-14 NIV
For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have. Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. The goal is equality,
Mark 6:31 NIV
Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”
While we are in the midst of our Month of Godly Self-Worth, it is of the utmost importance that we find a good balance in our lives between being busy at work, being busy with family, being busy helping others, and attending to things that concern to our wellbeing and our wellbeing alone.
It is fascinating to observe the apostle Paul delivering a sermon to the congregation in Corinth about the significance of having enough in order to be in a position to assist other people. Equality, or as I prefer to put it, a sense of equilibrium, should be the primary focus and end objective.
Then we see Jesus and the apostles being so busy that they themselves hardly have time to eat or rest. This is a reflection of how Jesus and the apostles lived their lives. Does something like that ring a bell? It reminds me of my two children and how they will occasionally be watching cartoons on the television, but as soon as I sit down to do something for myself, they will run over and sit on top of me. This happens a lot, especially if I am in the middle of doing something for myself. It is delightful, but at the same time it can be very draining.
Jesus and the apostles were always surrounded by people who asked him for things, but on many occasions, Jesus would go away to rest, pray, and sleep. Because Jesus emphasized the necessity of loving one’s neighbor as one loves oneself, his teachings suggest that a healthy, well-balanced lifestyle that prioritizes both one’s own well-being and the well-being of others is of the utmost significance.
But how can we achieve this sense of equilibrium given how hectic our lives are? How do we get the rest that we so richly deserve and rediscover the joy in life that we so desperately seek?
The following are three suggestions that will help you achieve the healthy pace that you need and the joy in life that you crave for:
1 – Self-Compassion – Have compassion and patience with yourself. Be kind to yourself when you make mistakes. Be hopeful when things aren’t happening. Look at yourself and believe that you are special, that you deserve to feel well and that things will work out for you. You are a child of God and you will only be able to love others well when you love yourself well.
2 – Connect with others – Life is better when we have friends to share our lives with. People that will be there in the fun moments and in the dark moments. Don’t overcommit, but also don’t hide yourself in your own nest.
“Friendship improves happiness, and abates misery, by doubling our joys, and dividing our grief.”
– Marcus Tullius Cicero
3- Volunteer to something – There’s nothing like feeling important and becoming meaningful in someone else’s eyes. When we give, we receive twice as much, and we become a fountain of living water to those who drink from us and for ourselves. There is much to gain if we can discover out how to keep helping others without being burned out.
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