Care – An object or a matter of concern; a thing to be done or seen too – a charge, protective oversight, or guardianship.
(Oxford Dictionary)
I doubt that there is a person on earth who genuinely wants to be known as uncaring. We all seem to care about a variety of things and people that touch our lives and even some that do not. To develop an attitude of care we must look both inside and outside of ourselves. That is perhaps the greatest challenge of becoming a caring person.
Looking outward is vital because we must see life as it exists beyond our world. Bertrand Russell tells us,“One must care about a world one will not see.” The imperative of that statement is that we must look outside of our world, or we truly just do not care about anything. Our world is full of people who never look outside of themselves to even care for the people that surround them. There is a near epidemic of abuse in so many homes today that we begin to wonder if anybody really cares. We must perhaps begin the journey of care by thinking about the many hurts and needs in the world that we never see. I pray God that we will never see starvation on the street corner, but we need to realize that such destitution is a part of the world that we live in. As we begin to care about the things we do not see, we develop keener eyes to see the needs that surround us. We begin to care for our neighbors and friends, our families, and caring becomes a way of life.
Now comes the next challenge. Most of us have heard of “compassion fatigue.” It is defined as a condition characterized by emotional and physical exhaustion leading to a diminished ability to empathize or feel compassion for others. In other words, we no longer care about anything or anybody. Why? Perhaps the primary reason is that we have neglected to care for ourselves. To properly care for others, we must care for ourselves. The beginning of self-care is rest. When we do not take the time to rest, we find ourselves at a loss to do the things that we love. Rest allows us to rethink what we are doing and why we are doing it. The quieting of our minds allows us to see our value to the world and the importance of respecting ourselves as a special creation of God. Essential to self -care is a positive view of ourselves before we lift a finger to others. This allows us to look deeper at the needs that surround us. With a healthy dose of self-love and self -care we are ready to care for the world.
The caring person knows how to show love and respect. There is no love without respect. It is not enough to tell someone you care when you do not value their worth to the world and see yourself as some sort of paternal figure that wants to straighten up their disastrous lives. People do not need a human savior but a friend and companion who cares about them. As persons of care, we are led to build up the self-worth of those we care for and about. Our imperative is to make their lives more worth living, and in doing so, they too become caring people. It is contagious. When people discover that others care about them, they begin to care about the world. In some nearly mystical sense, they are led to become people of care as well.
What are human beings that you are mindful of them,
mortals that you care for them?
~~~Psalm 8:4
If we take care of the inches, we will not have to worry about the miles.
~~~Hartley Coleridge
I care not much for a man’s religion whose dog and cat are not the better for it.
~~~Abraham Lincoln
One must care about a world one will not see.
~~~Bertrand Russell
Give me a hundred men who fear nothing but sin, and desire nothing but God, and I will shake the world. I care not a straw whether they be clergymen or laymen; and such alone will overthrow the kingdom of Satan and build up the kingdom of God on earth.
~~~John Wesley
My friend…care for your psyche…know thyself, for once we know ourselves, we may learn how to care for ourselves.
~~~Socrates
Don’t be afraid to give your best to what seemingly are small jobs. Every time you conquer one it makes you that much stronger. If you do the little jobs well, the big ones will tend to take care of themselves.
~~~Dale Carnegie
If I take care of my character, my reputation will take care of itself.
~~~D. L. Moody
Nobody is so busy that they can’t make time for the people they really care about.
~~~Leila Sales
A song and a smile from someone I cared about could be enough to distract me from all that darkness, if only for a little while.
~~~Ransom Riggs
The closest thing to being cared for is to care for someone else.
~~~Carson McCullers
That there should be no division in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another.
~~~1 Corinthians 12:25
Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.
~~~Corinthians-2 11:28
For I have no man likeminded, who will naturally care for your state.
~~~Philippians 2:20
But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again; wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity.
~~~Philippians 4:10
Casting all your care upon him; for he cares for you.
~~~Peter-1 5:7
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
~~~Psalm 23:1
what are human beings that you are mindful of them,
mortals that you care for them?
~~~Psalm 8:4
And even the hairs of your head are all counted. So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.
~~~Matthew 10:30-31
The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me,
~~~John 10:13-14
The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, “Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.”
~~~Luke 10:35
LORD,
Teach me to care for the unloving.
Teach me to care for the undeserving.
Teach me to care for the unknown.
Teach me to care for the unreachable.
Teach me that in caring for these I can learn to care for myself and have the peace that is bestowed upon a person of a caring heart. I ask that your spirit guide me as I seek these things. AMEN
A Pastor's Thoughts 