“Then he chose twelve of them to be his apostles, so they could be with him.” Mark 3:14 (CEV)
If I were to ask you to complete this sentence, “If you want a job done right . . .” you would probably finish it with this: “. . . do it yourself.” But that’s the motto of a perfectionist headed for burnout—because you can’t do every job by yourself.
Jesus was human, just like us. And instead of trying to do everything alone, he intentionally shared his life and ministry with others.
Do you know the first thing Jesus did when he started his ministry? He formed a small group. Mark 3:14 says, “Then he chose twelve of them to be his apostles, so they could be with him” (CEV). Before he began his public ministry, Jesus gathered a small group because he knew his Father intended for him to do ministry and walk through his hardest days with friends by his side.
If anybody had a right to say, “If you want a job done right, do it yourself,” it was Jesus. He had the power to do anything, yet even he knew the power of having a small group for support.
When he went to the Garden of Gethsemane, just before the cross, Jesus said to his disciples in Matthew 26:38, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me” (NIV). Even Jesus invited others to pray with him. Even Jesus chose to lean on the support of a small group when he was in a crisis.
So much of our stress is self-imposed. We get uptight when we think it all depends on us—but it doesn’t. God hasn’t called you to be the general manager of the universe, let alone expect you to be able to manage your own life by yourself. You need his direction and strength, and you need people around you to walk through life together.
We often don’t accept help from other people because of our insecurity and pride, and so we stay stressed out. But there are people of faith who are willing to help and support you—and people who need your help and support.
Humble yourself and admit that you can’t do it on your own. And you don’t have to! God made the church to walk with you in good times and help you in stressful times. And he will lead you to the people you need if you’ll just let your guard down and trust him to provide.
Rick Warren is an innovative pastor, renowned author, and global influencer known for founding Saddleback Church, the Purpose Driven Network, the PEACE Plan, and Hope for Mental Health. He has written several best-selling books, including The Purpose Driven Life, which has sold over 35 million copies in 200 languages. Time magazine named Warren the most influential spiritual leader in America and one of the 100 most influential people in the world. Since stepping down from the lead pastor role at Saddleback in 2022, Warren has continued to inspire people through his Daily Hope Devotional and podcast Pastor Rick’s Daily Hope. His first book in a decade, Created to Dream, was released in April 2023.
For more Daily Hope with Rick Warren, please visit pastorrick.com!
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