Look After Yourself!
1 Timothy 4:16 Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you. (NKJV). (Emphasis mine).
Its nine weeks since I had a massive heart attack. We’ve learned a lot since then and new lessons physical and spiritual every day about the heart and what has happened. I’m getting stronger every week, and gaining back my energy slowly (too slowly for my brain but I must take it slowly for my body).
One thing struck me in particular. It’s this. But first a quick explanation. The heart has two sides to it, one side pumps non-oxygenated blood (that has just returned from its journey around the body) to the lungs where it receives that life-giving oxygen. The other side of the heart then pumps oxygenated blood to the whole body.
But did you know this? I didn’t. The very first muscle/organ to receive oxygenated blood pumped from the heart, is the heart muscle itself! The very muscle that pumps oxygenated blood gets it first, even before the brain. The main coronary arteries that supply blood to the heart come right out at the top of the heart and receive the best blood.
Isn’t that amazing! There’s a massive lesson here. We need to LOOK AFTER OURSELVES!
In Brief Word #38 Inner Health February 2014, I spoke about our soul health, or mental health.
3 John 1:2 Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. (NKJV). To prosper means to succeed financially. It means to flourish or thrive, and to do well. The soul is the mind, emotions and will. The soul is our inner person, the inner us. John though already knew of Gaius’s strong spiritual and soul health, (i.e. “just as your soul prospers”), but he also wants him to PROSPER PHYSICALLY and asks after his physical well-being.
God is concerned for your spirit, your soul, AND your body.
It is important to understand that we may need to make some changes or carry out maintenance from time to time, or, our body will not hold up.
So. Some sobering questions; I also ask of myself.
- How’s your body?
- How are you physically?
- When did you last have a full medical checkup?
- What do you do to look after your physical body?
- How do you keep your body healthy?
- What’s your menu like?
- Do you get enough rest, sleep and exercise?
- How do you “unwind”?
- How do you recharge your physical batteries?
It is important that we think of our body because it is after all the house for the soul and Spirit of God who lives in us. (See Romans 8:11, 1 Corinthians 3:16).
Think about a well. It can’t give fresh clean water if its walls are in bad shape. But if it is regularly and properly maintained the water it gives is fresh clean and pure. It’s just the same with us.
Jesus said this. John 7:38 “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” (NKJV).
But that spiritual flow can be hindered by physical things like an unwise lifestyle, lack of energy, not enough rest and sleep, and a diet which doesn’t give us the proper fuel we need for living a full life. Physical things can have a huge impact upon spiritual things.
So when we say “LOOK AFTER YOURSELF”, what do we mean? It’s a big issue. We can be very busy serving the Lord, and we should! The days are urgent, there are many yet to hear the good news of Jesus and His love. But we must look after the very vessel that carries the good news, otherwise the carrier itself will be taken out and there’ll be no good news carried for a while by that carrier.
Here’s some suggestions to looking after yourself.
1. Know what God wants you to do.
This is a spiritual area, but everything in life we DO must come from hearing from God and knowing His will. God has a plan for us, and we can hear from Him to know that plan.
2. Say yes to His call.
When we know what He has for us we can serve passionately. He gives energy and anointing in that area only. I believe God anoints and energises and empowers us in the areas of our calling and gifts. Be obedient. Say yes to what He wants for us. What is the ONE THING He’s asked you to do? Know that and do it!
3. Say no to the distractions.
We’ve probably heard our mother and many others say to us when we were younger, “You can’t do everything”. How right they were. Even Jesus knew there would be many needs we would see but can’t minister into. (See John 12:8). I’m learning (the tough lesson) that to say no to the things I should say no to is actually good for me spiritually and physically and very good for those around me. I have better focus and energy for the yes things in my life. How many people in the graves of the world thought they were indispensable?
4. Rest, sleep, eat and unwind wisely.
You thought this would be the first one eh! You need to know what recharges your batteries physically, emotionally, spiritually. Even Jesus took Himself aside from time to time to spend quality time with His Father and recharge His batteries, to receive spiritually and physically.
Let’s look after ourselves. We don’t want to rust out from under use, we don’t want burn out from over use, but we want to shine out our days in serving according to how He has made us and His plan and purpose. “Take heed to yourself”. Only you can look after you.
