“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.”
Romans 12:1 (NIV)
Are you exhausted, overwhelmed, stressed out, or burned out? I accepted many serving opportunities in my church and community when I retired because I was so excited to have extra time to volunteer. However, my schedule quickly became overbooked and overwhelming. Now I realize God doesn’t want us to exhaust ourselves, even when we are serving Him.
Biblical self-care is a balance of body, mind, and Spirit to worship God; it is not self-indulgent. Romans 12:1 states, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.”
To understand why self-care is important to God, remember three things.
Remember whose you are
Self-care is important to God because He created you in His image, exactly the way He intended. He chose your physical characteristics, your natural talents, and your unique personality. So, worship God by taking care of yourself because He created you as His masterpiece (Ephesians 2:10 NLT).
God sent His Son Jesus to earth to pay the price for our sin and restore the relationship between humanity and Himself. Jesus died in our place and rose from the grave; He paid our debt in full. So when we accept Jesus as our Savior, we belong to Him (Romans 14:8-9).
Remember who lives in you
Self-care is important to God because it shows honor and respect for your body, His temple.
In the beginning, God was with Adam and Eve in the garden. Later, God lived in the Tabernacle when His chosen people, the Israelites, journeyed from slavery in Egypt to the land God promised them. After the Israelites took possession of the Promised Land, God’s presence filled the temple built by King Solomon. And now, the spirit of God, the Holy Spirit, lives inside of us when we accept Jesus as our Savior. How amazing is that?
Remember your purpose
Self-care is important to God because taking care of yourself increases energy and stamina. Then you are better prepared to use the gifts God gave you to fulfill your purpose and to serve others.
God sets us apart to do His will, to give Him glory, and to share the Gospel. We present our bodies as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1). In this verse, the word “bodies,” mindful of the Old Testament sacrifices, represents the totality of one’s life and activities, of which your body is the vehicle of expression. [1] So, we are to present our entire lives to Him in worship.
Final words
Now that we know self-care is important to God, what shall we do? Here are a few suggestions to prioritize self-care.
Observe the Sabbath
The Lord gave us the Sabbath as a day of rest and rejuvenation. It is a day to focus on our relationship with Him and recharge our batteries. When we take a day of rest, we follow His example (Genesis 2:2).
Get some rest
Rest is not just more sleep. I highly recommend Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith’s book, Sacred Rest. She defines seven types of rest, including spiritual rest. Check out her website for free resources, including a quiz to help you find out what type of rest you are missing.
Find your go-to stress buster
Determine what is most effective for you to reduce stress, as everyone is different.
Number one is prayer and meditation. Seek guidance from God and let go of things not meant for you. When I struggled with an overbooked schedule, I realized my volunteer opportunities were good, but some were not the best fit for my calling from God. I had to let them go, even though I enjoyed them.
Go for a walk outside and enjoy God’s creation.
Just breathe! Breathing exercises tone the vagus nerve and balance the mind and body.
What is your favorite stress buster? Let us know in the Comments!
References
- Witmer, J. A. (1985). Romans. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 487). Victor Books.
