A Key to Caregiving, March 18
Daily Reflections from Inside the Cancer Journey
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Written by Justin Wood
“Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give” (Matthew 10:8 NIV).
Roughly fifty-three million Americans are serving as caregivers for their family members.1 That means probably about one in five Americans are feeling exhausted from: Cooking. Cleaning. Driving. Scheduling. Shopping. Handing out medications. Counseling. Cheerleading. This means around one in five may be: Restless. Worrying. Crying. Uneasy. Jealous. Angry. Resentful. Bored. Fearful. Frustrated. Scared. Caregiving is one of the most noble and most difficult ministries that a person can undertake.
Thankfully, today’s verse gives us all some clear insight into understanding God’s view of caregiving. Jesus challenged and commissioned His disciples to do some amazing caregiving. He did not tell them to shop or clean or drive the sick to appointments. Instead, Jesus told His disciples to heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, and drive out demons. That is not a small task.
Why was Jesus confident that the disciples could do this caregiving? Because His disciples had spent hundreds and hundreds of hours with Jesus. They received so much from Him in such a powerful, personal way that they were then able to give.
Jesus clarifies what makes a powerful caregiver. If a caregiver has received care freely, then he will be able to give care freely. The quality of your caregiving hinges upon your ability to receive prior to your caregiving.
If you give care only from your own power, then your level of caregiving will be limited. If you learn to receive care from another’s power, then your level of caregiving will be greater.
The more care you can receive from Jesus through prayer time, Bible reading, worship, etc. the more you can eventually give to others. The more you receive from Jesus, the more you can give.
Ultimately, the word is “receive,” not “take.” You have to receive what the Lord gives to you. You’re not scheduling an appointment with Jesus for some care. You are submitting to Jesus for the care He longs to give you. You cannot try to “take” healing from the Lord. You have to be willing to receive what the Lord has for you right now.
Practically, as a caregiver, you must understand that in order to give care, you must receive care. Receiving care means that you must connect with other people. You cannot continue to give care in isolation.
Caregivers can allow their pride to hinder them from being vulnerable. Caregivers may feel ashamed to share their real need to receive from others. But these negative patterns go against Jesus’ principle that the best caregivers give freely because they have received freely. The people who will give care to you are freely given by Jesus to you. Will you freely receive?
Pray: Jesus, teach me to receive freely from You and others because I want to be able to give freely. Amen.
Your Turn: The best caregivers receive freely. When you struggle to give care to others, ask yourself, “What do I need to receive—and who do I need to receive that from?”
1. AARP, National Alliance for Caregiving. “Caregiving in the United States 2020.” AARP, May 14, 2020. https://www.aarp.org/ppi/info-2020/caregiving-in-the-united-states.html#:~:text=Today%2C%20more%20than%20one%20in,43.5%20million%20caregivers%20in%202J015.
Justin Wood, Childhood Cancer Survivor
Justin lives in Bowling Green, Kentucky with his wife and six homeschooled kids. Through his life, Justin has become a wonderful mix of entrepreneur, English teacher, and foreign missionary. He is a survivor of childhood cancer. Justin is very grateful for Cancer Companions and the opportunity to be a part of this devotional writing process.
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