Jesus Manages the Four Spaces of Anxietyਨਮੂਨਾ

When we think of Jesus and his unique attributes, we don’t often think of his commitment to taking care of himself. In fact, we might be tempted to describe Jesus in the opposite way - that he poured it all out, gave it all. But actually, one distinctive of Jesus was how he never seemed to be in a hurry, never gave into the pressure of what people wanted, such as a healing, even when he could give it to them. People brought their physical needs and their desperation to Jesus constantly. But many times, at least nine of them recorded in Scripture, Jesus walked away from needs of the pressing crowd. He intentionally took care of himself, connected with his Father and spent time with his friends.

Flight attendants remind us to ‘first put the oxygen mask on our own face before helping others.’ I had to learn this habit when I served as a hospital and hospice chaplain. When I first took the job I thought my attention first needed to be on the people in crisis. I was surprised to learn that my capacity to help people in the worst moments of their lives increased when I first paid attention to myself. Chaplaincy was always intense and I learned to pause, relax into God’s presence and pay attention to what was under the surface in my own life: my weariness and fear of death, for example. I found when I checked in with myself, I could then give my fears and triggers to God and rely on him deeper. My capacity to serve increased. When I am weary or anxious, I am prone to neglect my own wellbeing and bring my own reactivity and assumptions into my encounters with others. That is no help to anyone. I marvel at Jesus and how he ‘first put the oxygen mask on his own face.’ He knew when he or his disciples had reached their limit, and he retreated away from the needs of the people. I feel selfish when I reach my limits. I am more prone to push through than rest. Jesus invites me to consider another way.

Luke reminds us that Jesus ‘often went to the lonely places.’ One time, after he learned that his beloved cousin John the Baptist had been murdered, he retreated away from the crowds. He knew his limits. He knew what he needed. It turns out that taking care of himself was a core part of why he was able to be so present to others.

It is ok to pause and reflect on what is going on in you. What is going on under the surface in your life? Where do you keep running into yourself. Perhaps the person most in need is you today.