Self-Neglect
Scripture:
Matthew 6:33
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
John 15:7-9
If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.
Reflection:
Today I choose to fast from the wound of self-neglect.
While it is true that the Christian life requires humility, self-neglect is a distorted form of humility that keeps us feeling powerless. We trap ourselves inside of mottos such as “God first, family second, others third, self last”. This kind of self-denial has its place in our lives, but we can easily twist it into a situation where we wear ourselves down in order to justify and excuse our own feelings of powerlessness. And once we’re in that frame of mind, it’s easy to justify our selfish or lustful actions with a simple phrase like “I couldn’t help myself”.
The way of Jesus is the way of self-sacrifice, but that sacrifice is freely chosen in love, rather than imposed out of fear or guilt. Some of the actions may look the same - thinking of others before yourself - but the motivation is completely different, leading to distinct outcomes. Self-neglect leads to weariness and self-pity. Self-sacrifice enables us to abide in Christ and allows us to see the goodness in all that God has made, including in ourselves.
Questions for Personal Reflection:
How have I seen the difference between self-neglect and self-sacrifice in my life?
Do I give of myself to others out of a sense of love or out of a sense of guilt?
Prayer:
Thank God for Jesus’ example of self-sacrifice that leads to life. Ask God to help you recognize when you are giving out of guilt rather than out of love. Pray that God would help you to reorient your heart towards love so that your giving can be life-giving rather than life-draining.
These devotions have been adapted from “Lenten Healing: 40 Days to Set You Free from Sin” by Ken Kniepmann.
