Who’s Looking Out For You?

Sometimes we are so busy being busy we don’t take time for ourselves. You may have time allocated for work, shopping, spending time with family and friends. You may even have time allocated for exercise and a spa day. But with all of these scheduled activities are you really taking time out for yourself?

If you are a caregiver or a giver that cares you often put others before yourself. In Philippians 2:3 we are admonished to esteem others higher than ourselves, but we also read in Proverbs 11:1 a false balance is abomination to the Lord: but a just weight is his delight. Anything that we do disproportionately is a false balance even when it comes to caring for others.

It’s unfortunate, but many times when caring for others we neglect ourselves. We put the welfare of others before our own welfare, but what we must take into consideration is what if we were not there to care for this person or these people? Who would care for them? It’s important to take care of yourself while caring for others. Not only must you consider who will take care of those you are caring for but you must also consider who will take care of you if you are in a situation that requires care.

A false balance can occur when you overextend yourself in any area of your life. Are you devoting too many hours to work? Are you devoting too many hours to play? Are you devoting too many hours to sleeping? Are you spending too many hours on habits that are counterproductive?

Take a close look at how you allocate your time. How much time do you spend in prayer or just sitting quietly? Are you too busy to listen to what God is saying? Many times when we say we can’t hear God it’s because we are not listening. We are too busy being busy. You may be thinking well if I don’t do this it won’t get done. Perhaps it won’t, but just remember all you can do is what you can do and you can’t do everything by yourself. Solicit help. Don’t ever think you are alone. Share what you are going through. Sometimes all you need is a listening ear or encouraging word to motivate you or strengthen you. There may be other times however when you require assistance. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Requesting help does not mean you are unable to complete a task. To the contrary, it means you are smart enough to realize when assistance is required.

Take time for yourself, set realistic goals, don’t place undue pressure on yourself. Remind yourself daily I can of mine own self do nothing, (John5:30; Philippians 4:13) but I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Cast all of your cares and rest in God. Casting your cares does not mean you are not concerned. It means you know your limits and you are leaving things in the hands of the only One that can handle them. You will be amazed at the amount of peace you will have when your trust is in God instead of in yourself.

Who’s looking out for you? God is looking out for you. Allow Him to do His job!