“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Simon and his companions went to look for him, and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!” Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.’”
Mark 1:35-38
When contemplating how to give our time and resources for the benefit of others, I am often drawn to the secular example of the oxygen masks that drop in airplanes. Flight attendants go over the rules with passengers at the beginning of each flight: “Secure your own mask before assisting others.”
Why would they need to remind us of this rule? I believe that, in the frightening event of a mid-air emergency, our first priority may be to ensure those around us are protected. We may witness the panic and fear on the face of someone seated beside us and rush to help them with no thought to our own safety.
So why put our mask on first? Because in the process of making sure others receive help, we may pass out from lack of oxygen. And if we pass out from lack of oxygen, how then will we assist others?
Sounds like a Kingdom analogy to me.
During Jesus’s ministry on earth, people constantly demanded His time, attention, healing, and miracles. But Jesus always made solitary time with the Lord a priority. Before making any big decisions or before a transition took place, He always went off alone to pray. In Luke 5:15-16, we read, “Yet the news about Him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear Him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.”
Jesus knew the importance of what is communicated before each flight: “Secure your own mask before assisting others.” The human Jesus needed physical, mental, and emotional restoration. The human Jesus needed quiet time to align His thoughts with the Lord’s will. The human Jesus needed peace and solitude to simply rest in the Father’s arms. The human Jesus needed to secure His own mask before He could help others.
The human “Insert Your Name Here” needs to, as well.
We all serve a Kingdom purpose. We play a vital role in our immediate and extended families. We are an essential component of our church and our community. Every person has been gifted unique spiritual talents that benefit the ones around us.
Our self-care is critical to every aspect of our being. Our physical health suffers when we are sleep-deprived and stressed. Our emotional and mental health suffers when we are drained and weary. Our relationships suffer when we are depleted and have nothing left to give to the ones we love the most.
You may be thinking: “In this season of life, I have no time for self-care.”
In the verses proceeding Mark 1:35, Jesus spent an entire day ministering and healing. He no doubt went to bed very late that night, as verse 32 states, “That evening after sunset, the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed.” The next morning, Jesus could have slept late to rest. Instead, He got up very early, while it was still dark, and went to a solitary place to pray.
Jesus sacrificed extra sleep and comfort for an early morning with God. Restorative time with the Father was what He needed to push forward and prepare for the needs of a new day, which in verse 39, we learn was “traveling throughout Galilee, preaching in the synagogues and driving out demons.”
How many more people were saved in the days that followed, all because Jesus carved out time early in the morning to commune with the Father?
How much more would we be able to conquer if we sacrificed a few extra moments each morning to pray to God and spend time in His Word? What would the small transformations in our day look like if we started each morning in a state of peace and quiet? Would we feel more rejuvenated, less likely to stress over small annoyances, more prepared to face the challenges ahead of us?
I believe Jesus chose the early morning hours to pray because He was less likely to be interrupted. The rest of the world was still asleep.
Early mornings can be hard. Start small. Try setting your alarm five minutes earlier. Then ten. Then fifteen. Stick with it, even when the “Snooze” button beckons.
Your Father is eagerly awaiting His time with you.
Tracy Huneycutt has been a member of the Journey Church family since 2020. She enjoys serving food on Breakfast Sundays, teaching Kindergarten-2nd grade JKids, and being a part of the Moms Group. Her family consists of her husband, John, her son, Reid, and her Labrador, Suki. Tracy writes blogs and social media content as a copywrite and freelance marketing agent. She is blessed to have additional opportunities to write, especially to share the love and wisdom of the Father.