Stewardship of Self

Anyone who attends church regularly has heard at least one sermon on stewardship. Typically, the focus of the message is on giving money; possibly, a secondary focus is on giving of your time. Have you every been encouraged to consider the stewardship of yourself? Did you know that Scripture describes it?

In I Kings, we read of the ministry of Elijah. He was a prophet with an outstanding resume of God’s accomplishments through him. But then one day, burnout arrived. In I Kings 19:3-4, we read that he ran for his life, sat under a tree, and said “I have had enough, Lord. Take my life.” Have you been there? Worn to the bone by life? By family crisis? Or even by the cost of success? God’s prescription for Elijah came in the form of an angel who repeatedly ministered to him with food, water, and sleep.

More and more, research is detailing the toll which stress takes on our physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Stress is linked to the six leading causes of death: heart disease, cancer, lung ailments, accidents, cirrhosis of the liver and suicide. (APA, 2004) Christians are not immune to stress nor its impact, but they may have an inside track to help.

Traditionally, both medical and mental health professionals either overlooked a patient’s faith, saw it as an impediment to their care, or even as a contributing factor to their problems. Duke University Medical Center established the Center for the Study of Religion/Spirituality and Health in 1997 (www.dukespiritualityandhealth.org) to research the link between religion and mental health. Studies have shown that people who report that religion is an instrumental part of their lives, often experience more purpose, meaning and hope, and suffer less depression, anxiety, or addictive behaviors. Faith is not, however, an immunization against these experiences.

A steward by definition is one who is morally responsible for the affairs of another. What if the one in greatest need is ourself? Elijah waited till he was at the end of his rope, ran away, and begged God for relief. God may not send you an angel, but He has appointed you a steward of yourself. We need to eat well and sleep enough. We need “to take time to smell the roses.” Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still and know that I am God.” We cannot experience spiritual refreshing without time to be still.