Post #19 On the Importance of Emotional Health...

On Sunday, Michelle and I heard a message about the importance of emotional health, specifically in regards to our service and love of God and others. The pastor spoke on two passages: one from the Gospel of Mark 12 and the other from Exodus 18

28One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, Of all the commandments, which is the most important? 29The most important one, answered Jesus, is this: Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. 31The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these. –Mark 12:28-31

13 The next day Moses took his seat to serve as judge for the people, and they stood around him from morning till evening. 14 When his father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he said, What is this you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge, while all these people stand around you from morning till evening 15 Moses answered him, Because the people come to me to seek God's will. 16 Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me, and I decide between the parties and inform them of God's decrees and laws. 17 Moses' father-in-law replied, "What you are doing is not good. 18 You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone." –Exodus 18: 13-18

Take time to chew on these passages. Think about how our emotional health effects our relationships, our families, our jobs, our ability to serve God, and our ability to love God and other people. We often read the passage from Mark and glance over it because this passage seems simple: "Faith is not about legalism, it is about love."

The part that gets overlooked (even in the message that we heard on Sunday) is this: "Love your neighbor as yourself." The key is that we are expected to love ourselves: not in some self-centered, egocentric pride, but a kind of love that respects, protects, and nurtures. We are expected to take care of ourselves; physically, emotionally, and spiritually. And in that same way, we are expected to take care of others.