You Promise?

Okay fellow nurturers, self-sacrificers, all the overworked and underpaid, aspiring super heroes. Women. Let's talk.I don't know about you, but I run around like the proverbial headless chicken trying to take care of everyone, trying to not let anyone down, trying to keep promises.Promises to keep them fed, promises to pick them up on time, promises to keep them clothed, to be at their games. Promises to be at work on time, to be at church on time, to send birthday cards to my relatives, take meals to those in need, and the list goes on. And on. And on.Question. Do you make promises to yourself? Another word might be commitments. We commit our best to so many, yet we fail to keep promises to ourselves.I'll go so far as to say we don't even make promises to ourselves.Why?I totally believe God when he says, "Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves;do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others." - Philippians 2:3-4Can you see the beauty of God's provision in these verses? We have condensed it, actually watered it down to mean, "don't think about yourself." Look closely. That's not in there. Nope. He's not saying that at all.These words from God's word are providing for us healthy boundaries and expectations, ensuring that we take care of ourselves and others- in balance.Jesus never called us to sacrifice our own health, be it physical or mental on the altar of being a "good mom" or a "good wife", a great teacher, or whatever you want to insert there. He never asked us to give up true rest- refueling, energizing, needed rest so that our kids can do everything they want to do. I'm not done yet. Our heavenly Father never asked us to stop dating our spouse when he blessed us with children.The best thing we can do for our children is love our husbands well and take excellent care of ourselves. Not selfishly, not out of vain conceit, but committing to care for yourself so that your tank is full and you can serve out of the overflow.I previously wrote a series about being overwhelmed. Wouldn't we be less overwhelmed if we were healthy and our relationships were solid and intimate? So many times we are not walking in freedom, victory, or the abundant life Jesus called us to because we have neglected his instructions to us to come to him for rest, to take care of our bodies, and to stay close to our spouses.Here's me feeling REALLY awkward to share my promise to myself with you through video. Just click on the word "Promise?" I apologize if you have to view it on its side. I'm learning. On mobile devices, it's vertical. Go figure.Promise?It's okay to keep promises to yourself. It's okay to make them. Start today. It might be a promise to say no to more activities that keep you from pursuing your man. It might be a promise to just take a nap when you need one. It might be making a commitment to your health- one step at a time.