Yesterday I stopped at the gas station to fill up my tank, thrilled to get a great deal at $3.54 per gallon instead of the normal $3.74. I though I had done so well until I realized how ridiculous it is that we’ve become so accustomed to these outrageous prices, we actually think $3.50 is a great deal! But, what choice do we have? We do what we have to do. Our car needs fuel to function. And if we intend to keep going ~ to work, to the store for food, to visit friends, to church, to care for our sick family ~ we have no choice but to refuel, no matter what the cost. That is true for our bodies, minds and spirits as well. We can’t just “keep going and going and going” like an Energizer Bunny® unless we give ourselves the fuel we need. Just like cars, if we are going to function effectively, we have to fill up and even do some preventive maintenance.
But we are often reluctant to allow ourselves the luxury of filling our personal tanks. We take care of our cars, our homes, our kids, our spouses, and our friends. But what about taking care of us? Is there something inherently wrong with caring for ourselves? Can we, as Christians, obey God’s command to put others’ interests above our own and still fill our own tanks and get the tune-ups we need to function? God’s Word tells us that very often it is His desire that we do just that. God wants us to take care of our bodies, minds, and spirits. Sometimes He provides everything we need to care for ourselves. But at other times He makes it abundantly clear that we should rely completely on Him, times when He says “Rest in me. Let me provide for you! Let me meet all of your needs!” And occasionally He wants us to depend totally on Him even when we are completely capable of taking care of things ourselves.
It’s true, the Bible is filled with passages that remind us to care for others above ourselves ~ passages like Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought. Romans 12:3 (NIV) and It is more blessed to give than to receive Acts 20:35 (NIV). I’m sure God knew that on this topic, we would need all the reminders we could get. Our human tendency is toward selfishness and pride. It’s much more natural for us to feed our own hungry bellies than to take the $10 we were going to spend on lunch and give it to a homeless person. We can, and often do, lean way too far in the direction of selfishness.
But God put His own likeness into us, so He knew we would be striving for something better. He gave us His heart for humanity, so as people who are trying to serve and support others, we often go to the opposite extreme ~ giving and giving without much thought of our own need for fuel. We want so much to obey God’s command to love others that we forget to look at the whole message of His Word. God said to Love your neighbor as yourself Matthew 22:39 (NIV) which quite clearly assumes that you do and will love yourself. Philippians 2:4 says Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Did you get that? We should “look not only to our own interests…” ~ again assuming that we should and do take care of our own needs and interests, but reminding us to take care of others as well!
In addition to instructing us to love and care for others as we care for ourselves, God also goes to great lengths to demonstrate and assure us of His incredible love for us. So much love in fact, that He not only died to give us eternal life, but also gives us everything necessary to meet all our needs here on earth! And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus Philippians 4:19 (NIV). If He loves us that much, should we not also love and value ourselves just as He values us?
God will meet all of our needs. But often He does that by supplying what we need to care for ourselves. At other times He says, “Here… let me!” Only you, in your own intimate conversations with God, will know for sure when He’s asking you to trust Him or when He’s saying, “You do it.” Either way it’s very clear that in order for us to do the work He gave us, He expects us to take care of the bodies, minds and souls He gave us.
What’s the cost of refueling YOU? What’s the price per/gallon? Will you have to give up some sleep to allow yourself time for exercise? Will you have to choose to give yourself a break and make time for fun, even though your work or the time you spend supporting loved ones currently takes up all of your waking hours? Will you have to choose to give up an hour of television in order to spend an hour resting with God? Just like our high gas prices, the cost of running effectively may seem steep. But consider the cost of not refueling ~ of not doing the maintenance that your body, mind and spirit require. Will you be able to continue to serve and love and support others if you are running on fumes? Count the cost, and listen to God’s Word: Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body 1Corinthians 6:19-20 (NLT). Make the choice to honor God by taking care of you. The cost is far too high not to!
(This month’s article is an excerpt from our new Bible Study: Joy on Purpose ~ Reclaiming God’s Gift of Joy. Watch our website at www.joyonpurpose.com for how to purchase the study and for future “virtual” Bible Study sessions!)
