Let’s make a start on this topic by considering what God’s position is regarding taking care of ourselves – do you think he wants us to do this, and, if you think that, then to what extent?
Verses
The obvious starting point for considering this is to discover what the Bible has to say. I asked the AI assistant on my phone to remind me of some relevant texts (this is a very helpful tool for such purposes). One of the links that I was pointed to was a well-written post that cited ten passages, some of which I feel are helpful, but some seemed rather tenuous. What surprised me was that the one verse that sprang to my mind wasn’t mentioned – can you imagine which that is?
There is a very obvious, and explicit, ‘look after yourself’ verse in Paul’s first letter to Timothy, where he tells him to: “No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.” 1 Timothy 5:23 (ESV)
We have to appreciate that wine, and alcohol generally, is a touchy subject for some people, but that is no reason to ignore what the Bible tells us. There is no getting away from the fact that the Bible generally, and certainly the New Testament, does not condemn the drinking of wine. Earlier in this letter to Timothy, Paul mentions the qualification for serving as a church Elder, or Overseer. Included in these stipulations is that the man must not be an excessive drinker, which the ESV translates as “not a drunkard”, and the NIV as “not given to much wine”. Here we see ‘much’ in contrast to ‘little’ in the verse in chapter five. There is no question that intoxication is to be avoided, but alcohol in true moderation is a blessing from God – see Psalm 104:15.
Burnout
It is good to see that Paul was caring towards Timothy, encouraging him to take care of himself and to do whatever would help him to remain healthy. We can only imagine how Timothy’s “frequent ailments” might have hampered his work for God; probably having a direct physical limitation, but also being emotionally detrimental – we can all appreciate that pain or illness is draining.
The truth is that if we want to be able to serve others, then we need first to take care of ourselves. I am not suggesting that we should pander to desires, placing our own wants and needs above those of others, but that we must seek to be in a place from which we can serve. Many people have suffered from burnout through their ministry, having focused on their service to others to the detriment of their own well-being, their marriage and family life. That isn’t God-honouring, but it may arise from an excessive desire to be needed, or at the very least from a failure to delegate.
Scope
Having considered health, we will go on to think about the other areas that come under the umbrella of caring for ourselves. Before doing so, I want to emphasise that we should always seek God about what is right for ourselves and our personal circumstances. His calling upon our lives varies, and we must recognise that he may lead some to serve him amidst circumstances that are far from comfortable, such as was Paul’s own experience (2 Corinthians 11:23-27). That said, there is nothing wrong with being well catered for, and I suggest, nothing virtuous about deprivation. God calls every Christian to serve him, but he doesn’t call every one of us to lives of poverty in whatever form. What he seeks from us is faithfulness to himself, his Word and his individual calling upon our lives. So, yes, we should seek to look after ourselves, but within any constraints that God may have set for us – surely we can trust him in the midst of these.
Rest
One of the most obvious biblical exhortations related to caring for ourselves is found in the Ten Commandments, where God stipulates rest – see Exodus 20:8-11. This is highlighted a little later in that book:
“For six days you shall work, but on the seventh day you shall rest. In ploughing time and in harvest you shall rest.” Exodus 34:21
It is notable that here, rest is prioritised over even the imperative of bringing in the harvest. We cannot expect to function well if we don’t give ourselves the rest that God intends for us. He knows our need and went beyond suggesting what would be good for us; he made sabbath rest a stipulation! Many Christians consider themselves to be free of such rules, but just as discipline is applied to children so that they might learn and grow to become self-disciplined, so we who are no longer bound by the laws of the Old Covenant should grasp the principles behind them, honouring God by taking these to heart. It is folly to discard the need for rest, whether on a day-to-day basis or the need to take the time to relax on one day each week. Of course, sabbaths extended beyond the regular seventh day, as we see in the verses following the one quoted above – there were other days, feasts, when the people of God were called out from their regular labours; days of celebration.
What does this tell us? God knows our needs, and it is important to him that these are met: the need for rest and relaxation. When we allow ourselves such time, we are not being indulgent.
Expectation
Maybe these matters of health and rest, and even relaxation, are obviously needed, but what about everything else – does God want us to have nice things that bring joy to our hearts, or that make our lives easier or more comfortable? I think the principle that we need to grasp is that God is for us, not against us. Generally speaking, he doesn’t expect that we should be deprived in any way; quite the opposite, as we see at the end of 1 Timothy 6:17: “…..God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.” And again in Psalm 84:11b: “…..No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly.”
We do not have any right to expect or claim such provision, and neither should we be excessive in indulging ourselves, but these verses show us that it is not wrong to have things in our lives that we enjoy. In fact, God wants to bless us abundantly in the practical realm as well as in the spiritual – he is the God of love. When it comes down to understanding what is right and what is not, it is our attitude of heart that matters, and we can examine that to check our motivation for whatever decisions we may be making.
Deprivation
To return to the title of this topic, only you know if you are looking after yourself. However, we should be assured that this is a responsibility that God has given to us, as far as we are able. He wants to bless us and expects us to play our part. We might be careless about this, failing to take rest or to look after our health, neither of which is honouring to God. Alternatively, we may have an expectation of deprivation, either because of how we feel about ourselves, or because we genuinely believe that this is how Christians should live. Low self-esteem is not God-honouring; it is contrary to how God sees us, denying the value that he has placed within us. Similarly, to believe that Christians generally should live a frugal life is inconsistent with biblical teaching, as is the opposite: excess in whatever form that might take.
If you would like to receive weekly email notifications with links to the latest BLOG topic, you can use the form below by including “SUBSCRIBE” in the Comment box.