We’ve all been on an airplane, waiting for takeoff, when the flight attendant begins the safety brief. When she gets to the part about oxygen masks, she will say, “If you are traveling with a child or someone who requires assistance, secure your mask on first, and then assist the other person.” The reason is obvious: If you are incapacitated, you will be of no use to others who may need your help.
This is an important life principle as illustrated in the Apostle Paul’s advice to Timothy in 1 Timothy 5:23. After telling Timothy to keep himself free from sin, the Apostle Paul urged him to use a little wine medicinally for his stomach and other various health problems. He was concerned for Timothy’s spiritual and physical well-being.
Timothy was left in Ephesus with an extremely difficult task in an exceedingly stressful situation. If he did not take steps to alleviate his health concerns, things could only get worse. If Timothy went down, he would be useless to others, and if he went down, so went the mission.
A wise man in our congregation approached me after the service this past Sunday with an astute observation about the need for leaders to take care of their own spiritual and physical health. He said that some people don’t take care of themselves, work themselves too hard, get little sleep, and then wear it as a badge of honor. It’s true. I’ve seen this in many areas, such as the military, sports, business, and even the ministry. Many will say that they want to burn out for Jesus. I get that. We want to give Jesus everything we’ve got.
But it can be problematic when someone tells you how much they suffer for Christ, for the motivation might be pride. And, is it really following the example of Christ when one works too hard, takes little time off, gets little rest, and develops health problems—all in the name of Christ?
We are to be servants who sacrifice for the sake of others, and Jesus was the Supreme example of one who gave it all for others. But we must be careful not to confuse Christ’s redemptive work of suffering and death with how He ministered during His life as a man. When He suffered and died for our sins, He gave everything for us. However, when we observe His life, we see that He was often measured with His time and energy.
Consider Luke 5:15-16, "But the news about Him was spreading even farther, and large crowds were gathering to hear Him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray."
Jesus knew He was human. He was the Son of God; He was God incarnate, but He was also a man and therefore subject to wear and tear on His body, physical and spiritual exhaustion, and even getting sick. Just like us, He could not be in two places at once in His human body. Just like us, He only had so much energy. Like us, He got tired and hungry and needed good nutrition and much-needed rest. Those who deny themselves these things in His service are not really following His example, for Jesus intentionally retreated from the stress of ministry from time to time.
He needed time away from crowds and the pressure to meet people’s needs. It must have been quite exhausting, as people were clamoring for his attention and the power of His healing.
In Mark 1:32-38 we see another instance of how Jesus handled the pressures of ministry. On one busy day, after the sun had gone down, the disciples brought to Jesus many who were ill and demon-possessed, “And the whole city gathered at the door.” Jesus met as many needs as he could that day and into the night, but “In the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there. Simon and his companions searched for Him; they found Him, and said to Him, ‘Everyone is looking for You.’ He said to them, ‘Let us go somewhere else to the towns nearby, so that I may preach there also; for that is what I came for.’”
These verses are often used to argue for personal time with the Lord; I believe that is a valid application. After all, if Jesus needed time alone with the Father, don’t we need to follow His example? However, these passages also say something about how Jesus handled people clamoring for His attention. In reality, He didn’t help or heal everyone who came to Him. Jesus often left some people in order to minister to others. He knew His limitations and wisely made decisions to take appropriate time away to rest and be renewed physically and spiritually.
His priority was preaching the Gospel as widely as possible, and he knew he was limited in time and energy.
When we fly, we sometimes forget to listen to the instructions concerning oxygen masks. After all, we’ve heard it 100 times. Heed the warning that you are no good to others if you are needlessly incapacitated. This is true in the spiritual realm as well. We need to pay attention to Christ's example and teachings.
Our true badge of honor is to be wise with our spiritual and physical health so that we might be useful to Him for as long as He chooses.