YOU GOTTA TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF

YOU GOTTA TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF

Jeremiah 29:5–7 (NKJV) Build houses and dwell in them; plant gardens and eat their fruit. 6 Take wives and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, so that they may bear sons and daughters—that you may be increased there, and not diminished. 7 And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive and pray to the Lord for it; for in its peace, you will have peace.

1.    Provide for yourself.

2.    Provide for your family.

3.    Provide for your city.

Today: You gotta take care of yourself.

Matthew 22:39 (NKJV) And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’

This seems out of order. Our focus as believers is always taking care of of others. An old epigram says JOY is Jesus first, others second, yourself last. Jesus recognized that the healthier we are, the more we can help other people. 

TEXT 1 Thessalonians 5:23 (NKJV) Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1. Keeping your spirit healthy.

Galatians 6:7–8 (NKJV) Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.

This is the law of sowing and reaping. You have to sow seed to reap a harvest. How do you sow to your spirit? You sow spirit seeds. What are some sprit seeds?

Jesus’ words are spirit seeds.

John 6:63 (NKJV) It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.

Prayer is spirit seed.

Jude 20 (NKJV) But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit,

Romans 8:26 (NKJV) Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

1 Corinthians 14:14 (NKJV) For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful.

The Holy Spirit is spirit seed.

Romans 8:16 (NKJV) The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,

2. Keeping your soul healthy.

Proverbs 4:23 (NKJV) Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.

Heart tests: Think test, Talk test, Treasure test.

3 John 2 (NKJV) Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.

How to keep your soul healthy.

Keep short accounts with God. 

Psalm 32:3–4 (NKJV) When I kept silent, my bones grew old through my groaning all the day long. 4 For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my vitality was turned into the drought of summer.

Keep short accounts with people. 

Matthew 5:23–24 (NKJV) Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

Mark 11:25–26 (NKJV) And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. 26 But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.

Unforgiveness leads to bitterness. 

Hebrews 12:14–15 (NKJV) Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: 15 looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled.

Bitterness has the ability to wipe out all the things God is doing in your life. 

3. Keeping your body healthy.

Give your body to God.

Romans 12:1 (NKJV) I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

Treat your body as the Temple of God. 

Paul has much to say about this in the book of First Corinthians. 

1 Corinthians 3:16–17 (NKJV) Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.. 

1 Corinthians 6:12–20 (NKJV) All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. Foods for the stomach and the stomach for foods, but God will destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. And God both raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by His power.

15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? Certainly not! Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For “the two,” He says, “shall become one flesh.” But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.

18 Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.

1 Corinthians 9:27 (NKJV) But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.

Jesus had an interesting observation about a healthy body. 

Matthew 6:22–23 (NKJV) The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

Your eye is your purpose or goal or vision. A healthy goal makes for a healthy life. People work for their goal or purpose. 

Proverbs 29:18 (NKJV) Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; But happy is he who keeps the law.

ACTION STEPS

Be honest with yourself: Where am I not healthy?

Decide to make a change. 

1.    What is one new thing I can do to grow spiritually?

2.    What is one new thing I can do to develop my soul?

3.    What is one new thing I can do to make my body healthier?