Taking Stock

In reading Song of Solomon 1:6, the Shulamite woman recognized that she was made the keeper of the vineyards but her own vineyard she had not kept. How many of us in Christian ministry have this same testimony? As leaders we are often called to work on the vineyards of our ministries, churches and the lives of our people, without properly taking stock of the state of our own vineyard.

...she was made the keeper of the vineyards but her own vineyard she had not kept.

This is where I found myself many years ago. Had someone asked me about self-care or had I been keeping my own vineyard, I believe I would have said a resounding yes!

Honestly, I had no real idea how far from the truth that was until an unexpected series of tragedies hit my life. The death of my paternal grandmother and my only sibling, my brother, was a real eye opener to my own self-care. These events paralyzed me in a way that I had never experienced before. This is where my journey began but your journey to self-care doesn’t have to be so traumatic. It can start by reading this article or taking a class.

Now is the Time!

When will it begin? Well, now is the time! I want you to ask yourself the following questions:

• Am I leading from an empty cup?
• Does my cup look full, but it actually has a slow leak?
• How can I begin to incorporate self-care into my everyday rhythms of life?

The Word of God tells us in Acts 3:19, “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.” If you find yourself leading from an empty cup – stop, repent and let this next season be one where you find yourself in the presence of the Lord so that you may be refreshed!

Bearing Fruit

I can almost hear someone saying, “Where do I begin?” Well, let’s begin with a Scripture for encouragement!

Jeremiah 17:7-8 says, “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”

I want to emphasize a few words from this passage. Often when we begin a new journey, new habit, or new task in our lives we forget that the enemy of our soul doesn’t play fair and wants us to fail. We also forget that the promises of the Lord are stronger, and we already know the outcome – we win!

This passage says “when heat comes” so we already know that will experience pressure and “in a year of drought” – which tells us there will be a time of drought. The journey of self-care won’t always be one of ease and comfort but is one full of the promises of God! When the heat comes, we have a direct connection to the source of water, and we need not worry or be anxious because we will not cease to yield fruit!

Our journey of self-care starts with acknowledging that where we are is not our final destination. Let’s start walking together.

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Sheila Bennett is a licensed and ordained minister who has worked in ministry for the last 20 years. She currently serves as the Chief Operations Officer & CFO at Rhema Christian Center in Columbus, Ohio. She is a lifelong learner and enjoys spending time with her husband, Corey, her 6 adult children and 4 grandchildren.

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