Tightrope: Self-Care/Compassion

Tightrope: Self-Care/Compassion

Pastor Aaron Sutherland

Finding the balance between self-care & compassion.

Mattew 22:37-40  

Jesus replied:  "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: "Love your neighbor as yourself." All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.

I. RESPOND TO OTHERS WITH WHAT YOU HAVE

John 6:1-8

Sometime after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the signs he had performed by healing the sick. Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples.  The Jewish Passover Festival was near.  When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?" He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do. Philip answered him, "It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!" Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up,  "Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?"

God loves to use what’s already in our hand.

II. RELY ON JESUS FOR WHAT YOU LACK

John 6:10-13

Jesus said, "Have the people sit down." There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there).  Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish. When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, "Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted."  So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.

III. RESTORE YOURSELF IN WHAT GOD SAYS

John 6:14-15

After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, "Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world." Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.

The crowd can’t fulfill you.

Discussion Questions:

1. How have you experienced God’s process for helping you see the needs of others?

2. Have you ever found yourself depleted from serving or even feeling burned out?  What did you do in response?

3. What would it look like for you to leave the voices of the crowd around you and find your way to a solitary place with God?