Bible Students

Christians and Self Care

Are you taking care of yourself? It’s a simple question, but often the answer is very complicated. God made us all with limits. God is God, and we are not. This means serving God will require times of rest, relaxation, restoration, and simply trusting God to do His work. The term “self care” can mean different things, but is an old concept in Christian theology. Even the ancient command to Sabbath in the Bible reflects the need for rest and trust in God. 

So, are you taking care of yourself? Let’s take a look together at Jeffery Gates’ “Self Care: A Christian Perspective” as we seek to do what God has called us to do, not just more. 

Some Thoughts on Jeffery Gates’: “Self Care: A Christian Perspective”

Unfortunately, one of the most widespread problems in Christian ministry today is the lack of self care. Many Christians in general are simply unsure how to address personal self care, and this is especially true for pastors. Self care is seen as a selfish act. Because of this, many disciple-makers end up often putting themselves down. However, self care is not selfish, but is rather taking in from Christ what He is choosing to give. 

It is Christ who gives freedom and rest to the Christian, but that freedom must be realized by the Christian before he or she can willingly place themself under service to another person. Even Christians can not give what they have not received. There is no biblical command to love oneself, but there is certainly a biblical inference to love oneself. The Christian is called to love others as the Christian loves themself. This does not mean to hate oneself and to love others, but to love both oneself and others. This does not mean to allow overindulgence for either of those parties, but rather to discipline and encourage both parties, one in the same. 

Proper self-care requires acknowledgement of what the person needs and does not need. Self-worth should be seen as the person is included in the sheepfold of Christ, and not based on personal merit. This self-worth teaches that the person is loved and should be taken care of. God is aware of His own self-worth and demands worship because of that. This is a proper view of self-worth, because God is infinitely worthy. The individual is not infinitely worthy, but does need to take care of the gift of a body and a life which God has given to them. 

Taking care of the body does not mean self-indulging, but instead requires discipline. In fact, failing to take part in the discipline of self-care can easily result in a breakdown at a critical moment, such as taking advantage of a more vulnerable member of the flock, resulting in sexual misconduct. Additionally, without the model of self-care, care for others is especially difficult. Compassion and love for the self lead to compassion and love for others, because feeling and understanding that love and compassion can lead one to demonstrate it in a more real manner. 

Christians know what happiness feels like because of how it has been shown to them through Christ. Christ gives forgiveness and love to the Christian, and the Christian must accept and dwell on that forgiveness and love (participate in self-care) in order to properly be able to give it to another person. There is a natural desire to take care of oneself, though it can be easily corrupted either into an ascetic practice of self-denial or an indulgent practice of gluttony and envy. Sin, even, can be understood as a rejection of self-care. 

Sin results in death and corruption, which destroys the body. If one is to take care of the body properly, one must show discipline in avoiding sin. Overindulgence and a lack of discipline, to repeat and make clear, is not self-love and is sin. Self-care allows the Christian to sacrifice the immediate pleasure of sin and fulfillment to pursue long-term satisfaction, especially in God. Christians must deny sin and look to God as the foundation for self care. Love for the self can not be divorced from love for God, for sin (a non-love for God and a choosing of something else) can not be present in true self-love. 

Love for God and love for self should go hand in hand, though they are not the same. Christians can distinguish between self-care and self-indulgence in their own lives. Additionally, self-mutilation is not self-care. A proper understanding of God, self, and others will promote better self-care, which involves taking care of the gifts, body, and life God has given to the Christian.

This article was helpful for seeing self-care as what it truly is: a way to take care of God’s creation. We as Christians have God-given limits, and must learn to steward ourselves well. So, what do you think? Are you taking care of yourself, after all? Do you view yourself as a creation of God? If you do, are you treating yourself in the way you would love someone else?