Mark 3:21

New International Version

When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.”

For Meditation

That is what they will say about you sometimes when you commit all your energies and attention to the Lord and His work – when you have very little time for yourself because of the commission He has given you. The ignorant will call you a lunatic or fanatic. But why should that unsettle you? Did not the family of your Lord say that about Him (Mark 3:21)?

After spending the entire night praying and seeking the counsel of the Father on the selection of His team (13-19), Mark tells us that a large crowd gathered around Him to overflow as he entered a house. The needs of the people were so much that it took all His time and attention and left Him no time to eat (20). 

His family did not like it. They were concerned about His physical condition, and that was alright. But to say that He was out of His mind was absurd (21). Did any of them consider His mission on earth and how time-consuming it was? Did they know Him at all? 

Human as they were, they had to do something before He hurt Himself, so they went to take charge of Him (21). Now that is interesting! Who can take responsibility for the Savior? Who needs a rescue from himself but us? 

That is how people sometimes see us and call us, as we follow in the footsteps of our Lord. Often, we can hardly have time to eat when we commit so much to Him and His work. When the need compounds and the people gather to receive His blessing from our ministry, we might not have time for ourselves. 

However, in that commitment to do everything with all you have for God’s glory (1 Corinthians 10:31), He strengthens you to accomplish His purpose (2 Chronicles 16:9). But that does not mean ministry should consume us so much that we lose ourselves.

We must always have time to rest. That is the purpose of the sabbath (Exodus 20:8-11). Jesus took time to rest from fatigue (John 4:6). He also called His disciples aside to repose with Him (Mark 4:31), and He calls us to come to Him with our cares and burdens and receive rest from Him (Matthew 11:28). 

Managing ourselves with a heavenly perspective is what He requires from us. If we find it difficult to do that, we can always find wisdom from Him to make the needed adjustment (James 1:6). 

Remember, it is “God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose”(Philippians 2:13).