Self-care or Serving Others?

    Have you heard the saying that a life of JOY comes from putting Jesus first, Others second, and placing Yourself last?  Does this teaching come from Scripture?  We all know situations where a person allowed themselves to be disrespected or abused by putting another’s “needs” above their own.  In contrast, because Jesus taught, “Love your neighbor as yourself”, can we assume loving our self is expected? How can Christ-followers balance self-care and serving others, in a healthy, Biblically prescribed way?

A servant’s heart

    As role model for Christian behavior and our Savior, Jesus “did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” ( Mark 10:45 EHV) On the same Passover evening he taught his disciples the new covenant of loving one another; the Messiah demonstrated divine humility by washing their dirty, smelly feet. 

    God’s Word informs us we have been blessed with unique gifts to ”serve one another, each according to the gift he has received, as good stewards of the many forms of God’s grace.” (I Peter 4:10) Not only do we have Jesus’ examples and commands, we have been given the reasons to “do good to all people, and especially to those who belong to the household of faith.” (Galatians 6:10)

    Often it is easy to see the blessings that come from helping others.  Perhaps because our children are a part of us, we usually enjoy even the challenges of providing for and nurturing them.  As our parents age, we most often want to care for them, out of gratitude and respect.  Depending on the job situation, employment can run the gamut from enjoyable to dreaded servitude. Adding to these things would be neighbors, friends, coworkers, church members and a host of good organizations that could all use our assistance.  Is it possible to have the fortitude and energy for all these needs? Have you, like me, perceived responsibilities in every direction and felt powerlessly overwhelmed? 

Self-centered ?

   Many years ago I heard a Christian teacher say that if a person was doing the Lord’s work, he could work day and night and never burn out. This dedicated gentleman was always helping out at church or school, with hardly any personal time for socializing, exercising, or relaxing.  He survived the heart attack, but had to learn self-care without guilt.

    In Christian circles, are the terms self-care and selfish juxtaposed or easily confused? I have to admit that I often feel more of a (false) guilt motivation to assist others, than to take care of myself. This attitude probably has more to do with my pursuit of others' approval, than a desire to imitate Christ.

    Our lives are enriched as we personalize this truth: the divine Designer “wonderfully made” ( Psalm 139:14) each individual and lovingly calls believers his children. Shouldn’t it follow that people respect themselves as God’s work of art (Ephesians 2:10)?

    Because he intimately knows the limits and needs of our earthly bodies, God “has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons”( Acts 14:17), and instructs his chosen ones to enjoy a Sabbath rest (Deuteronomy 5:4 and Hebrews 1).  When I remember my “body is a temple of the Holy Spirit…you are not your own” (I Corinthians 6:19), it influences my health decisions for the best.

Finding the balance

    How do we know when to draw the line, so that helping others does not become a detriment to our physical, emotional or even spiritual well-being?  When is it important and necessary to procure a prayerful rest? 

   Paul encouraged the Corinthian believers to imitate Christ (I Corinthian 11:1) As the Son of Man, Christ knew the physical exhaustion and draining feeling of serving many people.  His humanity is shown in Luke 5: "Now it happened that while the crowd was pressing around Him...But Jesus would often slip away to the wilderness and pray."  Can you relate to this kind of pressure or wilderness escape?

    

    We follow a Savior who understands we need times (Ecclesiastes 3) of serving others, and ourselves. Taking a rest from responsibilities, getting away from numerous needs, letting our minds and bodies rest, and communicating with our loving LORD, is the opposite of selfishness.
    A prayer-directed balance is the better definition of JOY.

  

--722 words

“God is able to make all grace overflow to you, so that in all things, at all times, having all that you need, you will overflow in every good work.” I Corinthians 9:8

Dear Readers,  Do you feel that it's more Christ-like to always put others first?  What thoughts, and situations influence your service/self-care balance?  Please email, or comment below. Looking forward to reading them!