[362 words]
My grandpa once told me that, “If I knew I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of myself.” What I took as a joke as a young kid, I now value in adulthood. People sometimes replace a goodbye with the phrase, “Take care of yourself.” Even though it is a simple platitude or friendly goodbye, this phrase should not be taken lightly. We all should be taking care of ourselves. There is not a price tag that we can place on our personal health and wellness. Its value is too great. At 40 years old, I am still fighting poor decisions I made in my 20’s. I chose not to take care of myself then and am paying the price now. I hope that my 50-year-old self will be more grateful for the decisions I am making now. No matter your age, take care of yourself. I am not just speaking of your diet, even though that has a major impact on your health. Rest, leisure, family time, laughing, relaxing, working out, finding an enjoyable hobby, hanging out with friends, and the like are all things that have a positive impact on your physical, mental, and relational health. However, we cannot forget the importance of our spiritual health.
“If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed. Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come” (1 Timothy 4:6–8).
You see, taking care of yourself physically, mentally, and relationally has plenty of value in this life, but taking care of yourself spiritually not only has great value in this life but also the life to come. I hope all of you are pursuing spiritual things, for those things are by far the most important. I love you all. Take care of yourself!
Wade Bower
Hillcrest church of Christ
Gainesville, TX