John 4:1-6 New Living Translation
Jesus and the Samaritan Woman
4 Jesus[a] knew the Pharisees had heard that he was baptizing and making more disciples than John 2 (though Jesus himself didn’t baptize them—his disciples did). 3 So he left Judea and returned to Galilee.
4 He had to go through Samaria on the way. 5 Eventually he came to the Samaritan village of Sychar, near the field that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. 6 Jacob’s well was there; and Jesus, tired from the long walk, then sat wearily beside the well about noontime.
Word of God for the Children of God
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
Jesus took the “shortcut” between Judea in the south and Galilee in the north.
He went through no-mans land Samaria. He was tired from his journey.
He rested by the historic site of Jacob’s well.
So much history and promise come together in this moment.
We expect something grand to happen.
Jesus has come to the well dug by Father Israel. (Jacob’s name was changed to Israel. [1]) [1] Genesis 32:22-28.
What great word do we hear from Jesus? None.
What triumphant deed does he do? None.
At least, not at first.
Jesus’ primary initial action was simply to sit down.
He was a weary Savior.
He was tired.
Sounds almost bizarre as our hearts exalt and hold Jesus in the highest of places.
At the same time, something wondrous is once again revealed to us: Jesus became flesh.
Human flesh.
Mortal flesh.
Wearying flesh.
He knows us not only because he is God, but also because he was one of us whose body got weary from a long journey, whose feet got dirty, whose legs grew weak and sore and tired, whose stomach growled when it was empty.
Jesus is a Savior who knows us; not just because he is God, but also because he has lived among us, in our world, sharing our burdens, feeling our weariness.
All of us will have times when we will have to care for our loved ones.
Maybe this is due to a parent going to a nursing home or a sibling getting sick.
I remember whenever my sisters got sick when I was a kid my mother made sure to separate us (in case it was contagious) and then she would have us help each other in various ways (cooking soup) while still keeping proper distance.
This could also be coloring a picture for the person who was sick or to bring them fresh soup while they were resting and recovering their strength.
However, as we get older, caring for our loved ones can get harder still because most of the time, it is something more than a cold or a flu.
It could be a chronic medical condition, cancer diagnosis or an incurable illness flare-up. Other times, it might be that unexpected diagnosis of Alzheimer’s or dementia. Any one of these things can be hard and they can all lead to burn out.
This is why we need to know how to care for our loved ones in Christ-like ways without burning out.
If we burn out, we will not be a good support system for anyone.
We will only become short tempered and more prone to get aggravated by any little inconvenience.
Rather than giving in to anger, frustration, or tiredness, we need ways to extend Christ-like love to others while also establishing our boundaries for self-care, to maintaining our own emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual well-being.
1. Serving Your Loved Ones
“Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28).
Jesus tells us that He came to this earth to serve others, not to serve Himself.
In the same way, we need to serve others.
If we are going to extend Christ-like actions to our loved ones, we are going to have to serve them as Jesus did.
Jesus never saw a task as being too inferior to Him, but rather, He healed the sick, the blind, and the crippled (Matthew 4:23-25; Luke 4:38-41).
Because of His love, He was always going far out of His way to serve us.
Your loved one might be living with a chronic debilitating illness where they cannot get around anymore.
Whenever you start to grow frustrated, remember what the Lord says in Matthew 20:28.
Also, try to put yourself in your loved one’s shoes and see things from their perspective.
It is really hard to live with a chronic debilitating illness and that might make a person hard to be around sometimes.
Try to reflect upon all these things and carry your cross (Matthew 16:24-26).
2 Corinthians 12:8-10 Amplified Bible
8 Concerning this I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might leave me; 9 but He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you [My lovingkindness and My mercy are more than enough—always available—regardless of the situation]; for [My] power is being perfected [and is completed and shows itself most effectively] in [your] weakness.” Therefore, I will all the more gladly boast in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ [may completely enfold me and] may dwell in me. 10 So I am well pleased with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, and with difficulties, for the sake of Christ; for when I am weak [in human strength], then I am strong [truly able, truly powerful, truly drawing from God’s strength].
PRAY! PRAY! PRAY!
James 5:13-18 Amplified Bible
13 Is anyone among you suffering? He must pray. Is anyone joyful? He is to sing praises [to God]. 14 Is anyone among you sick? He must call for the elders (spiritual leaders) of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with [a]oil in the name of the Lord; 15 and the prayer of faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another [your false steps, your offenses], and pray for one another, that you may be healed and restored. The heartfelt and persistent prayer of a righteous man (believer) can accomplish much [when put into action and made effective by God—it is dynamic and can have tremendous power]. 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours [with the same physical, mental, and spiritual limitations and shortcomings], and he prayed [b]intensely for it not to rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. 18 Then he prayed again, and the sky gave rain and the land produced its crops [as usual].
1 Thessalonians 5:14-19 Amplified Bible
be very patient with everyone [always controlling your temper]. 15 See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek that which is good for one another and for all people. 16 Rejoice always and delight in your faith; 17 be unceasing and persistent in prayer; 18 in every situation [no matter what the circumstances] be thankful and continually give thanks to God; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus. 19 Do not quench [subdue, or be unresponsive to the working and guidance of] the [Holy] Spirit.
Jesus will give you the strength that you need to support and care for your loved ones. He knows some days will be harder than others, yet He will forever give you the strength you need to continue.
Jesus is faithful and He will help you as you continue to help your loved one. It pleases Him to see us all following in His footsteps and obeying His teachings.
As Paul says in his passage, we need to consistently be praying for all of the Lord’s people. This includes our loved ones and the struggles they are facing.
We don’t need to cast off or discount nor ignore nor abandon the infinite power of prayer because a mustard seed prayer can move mountains (Matthew 17:20).
Denying, Disregarding Doubting God’s ability will only hinder our own life. We need to trust in Him and pray on behalf of our loved ones, even if their health is deteriorating. God can do all things—we just need to wait on Him (Luke 1:37).
When you pray for your loved ones, you will notice your own strength will increase as well as your love for them.
This will help you to keep going without burning out.
Pray for yourself also and ask the Lord to keep you strong.
You want to be there for your loved one and help them in the best possible ways.
Continue to lean heaviest on Jesus, follow Him, pray for your loved ones, and be the best source of support that you can be.
Burn out will eventually come for all of us, but we have to remember that this is part of the process.
Sometimes it will be impossible not to run ourselves ragged, especially when a loved one is becoming acutely ill, or is that much closer to their passing away.
Therefore, don’t get too hard on yourself if you do face burn out. It doesn’t mean you have failed, it just means you are human. Extend grace to yourself, take time to rest and recover, and ask the Lord to show you what to do next.
2. Showing Up When Nobody Else Does
“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 7:12).
The Lord speaks of the importance of treating others the way you want to be treated in this passage.
Similar to how we would want somebody there for us, we need to be there for our loved ones. Even if nobody else is there for them, we need to be present.
We need to show up, be there, and extend support for our loved ones even when it is exceptionally dangerous, or hardcore or potentially lethal unto ourselves.
https://www.nps.gov/places/kirkland-memorial.htm
While we need to be careful not to burn out, we also don’t need to feel like we cannot do that much for our loved ones.
Find your balance and avoid all extremes.
It can be easy to restrain from doing anything to protect our own mental well-being, but we need to ensure we are doing all we can to help others.
Being there when a loved one is in the hospital can be a heavy strain, yet it is vitally important for us to be there. In the same way, it can be hard to see our grandparents in a memory care unit, but we need to be right there for them.
Just as Jesus is with us when nobody else is, we need to strive to be the physical hands and feet of Jesus to our loved ones in order for them to know that they are sincerely cared about, unconditionally loved, that they all do absolutely matter.
3. Listening to Your Loved Ones
“My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry” (James 1:19).
As the Apostle James tells us, we need to be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry.
Being quick to listen requires wisdom because it is all too common that we begin to speak before listening.
Rather than saying the first thing that comes to mind or something that we believe might help, we need to listen and see what they truly need.
This will help our loved ones to know that they can rely on us and be open with us about anything.
Our loved ones need us to truly listen to them.
They don’t need us to only half listen or to be doing something in addition to listening to them.
We need to give them our full attention.
Sit with them, put all distractions away, and truly listen to them.
Don’t interrupt or add in any advice unless they ask for it.
Sometimes all our loved ones need is for us to listen to them rather than to start a game plan of what they should do next.
If your loved one wants advice, they will ask for it.
However, it is more important to be a listening ear than it is to be a speaker of advice.
It will also prevent burn out because you will be paying more attention to what they are saying rather than trying to come up with a plan to fix it.
Release the temptation to fix the situation and allow yourself time to simply sit quietly and attentively listen to your loved one.
4. Sitting With Them in the Pain
“Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn” (Romans 12:15).
The Apostle Paul tells us that we need to rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn.
This helps others know that they are not alone.
Sitting with our loved ones will not burn us out because we are simply being there for them as Jesus does. We don’t have to do anything strenuous or hard.
All we have to do is to sit with them in their pain.
Whenever I am struggling with my chronic illnesses, I need someone to sit with me and by me in the distressing moments.
Sometimes this is all that I need.
I need to know that there is someone who is willing to simply exist with me in the pain and to help me overcome the worries that the pain will never end.
With your own loved ones, it is important that you do this as it will help them feel more comfort, hope, and peace with their own daily struggles.
You never know how much this can help someone and bring renewed strength into their life.
Servant Leadership
Matthew 20:25-28 Amplified Bible
25 But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles have absolute power and lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them [tyrannizing them]. 26 It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, 27 and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your [willing and humble] slave; 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many [paying the price to set them free from the penalty of sin].”
In a world that often values power and authority, servant leadership stands as a powerful model for those who seek to make a lasting impact.
Jesus, our ultimate example of servant leadership, has shown us that greatness is found in humble service and selfless sacrifice.
Servant leaders place the needs of others before their own.
They lead with compassion, empathy, a genuine desire to uplift and empower the people they serve.
Instead of seeking to be served, they willingly serve others, pouring out their time, talents, and resources for the well-being of the team or community.
Servant leadership is not about the accumulation of titles or accolades, but about making a positive difference in the lives of others.
It involves active listening, fostering an inclusive environment, and also our recognizing the highest value and greatest contributions of each person.
As followers of Christ, we are called to embrace servant leadership.
By imitating Jesus’ selflessness and humility, we reflect his love to the people around us.
We strive to lead by example, showing integrity, compassion, and grace in our interactions and decisions.
As we embrace the call to servant leadership, may we follow in the footsteps of Jesus, who came not to be served but to serve.
May our lives inspire others to live this way too, bringing positive change to our families, friends, workplaces, neighborhoods, our churches and communities.
In the name of God, the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit,
Praying …
Psalm 25 Christian Standard Bible
Psalm 25
Dependence on the Lord
Of David.
1 Lord, I appeal to you.[a]
2 My God, I trust in you.
Do not let me be disgraced;
do not let my enemies gloat over me.
3 No one who waits for you
will be disgraced;
those who act treacherously without cause
will be disgraced.
4 Make your ways known to me, Lord;
teach me your paths.
5 Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are the God of my salvation;
I wait for you all day long.
6 Remember, Lord, your compassion
and your faithful love,
for they have existed from antiquity.[b]
7 Do not remember the sins of my youth
or my acts of rebellion;
in keeping with your faithful love, remember me
because of your goodness, Lord.
8 The Lord is good and upright;
therefore he shows sinners the way.
9 He leads the humble in what is right
and teaches them his way.
10 All the Lord’s ways show faithful love and truth
to those who keep his covenant and decrees.
11 Lord, for the sake of your name,
forgive my iniquity, for it is immense.
12 Who is this person who fears the Lord?
He will show him the way he should choose.
13 He will live a good life,
and his descendants will inherit the land.[c]
14 The secret counsel of the Lord
is for those who fear him,
and he reveals his covenant to them.
15 My eyes are always on the Lord,
for he will pull my feet out of the net.
16 Turn to me and be gracious to me,
for I am alone and afflicted.
17 The distresses of my heart increase;[d]
bring me out of my sufferings.
18 Consider my affliction and trouble,
and forgive all my sins.
19 Consider my enemies; they are numerous,
and they hate me violently.
20 Guard me and rescue me;
do not let me be disgraced,
for I take refuge in you.
21 May integrity and what is right
watch over me,
for I wait for you.
22 God, redeem Israel, from all its distresses.
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
Loving God, Living God, Loving Hope, Living Hope, Loving Living Life His Way! "Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. And still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues." - Brother Lawrence (1605-1691), Practicing the Presence of God (1692). 