"I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." — Galatians 2:20
Dying to the self has long been viewed as an important theme in Christian living. It's important that we live a selfless life rejecting our desires for the sake of God's. But where do we draw the line between dying to the self and failing to take care of ourselves?
God want us to learn to live for Him and for the needs of others. Often the greatest enemy to that is our own needs and our own comforts. With that, we are given the command to be selfless and to love God and others, but never at the expense of being good stewards still of our bodies, spirits, minds and hearts.
Love Yourself Just as Much as You Love Others
In Mark 12:31, Jesus gives us the second most important commandment next to loving Go: "The second is this: 'You shall love your neighbour as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these."
I always thought of this scripture as being just one command until I noticed that there are actually two commands given in this scripture: to love others and to love ourselves. We are commanded after all to love our neighbour as ourselves, which means that we must also learn to serve ourselves when needed.
Die to Selfish Patterns, Not Godly Ones
So how do we reconcile two seemingly contradicting ideas: dying to the self but also loving the self? You can see it as a contradiction, or you can view it as an important balance to keep. While we are asked to reject that which is of the sinful nature, God also reminds us to steward and take care of that which belongs to Him.
Our bodies need our care and attention because we cannot serve others and God when we are sick. Our finances need to be set because we have needs as well. Our spirits need just as much feeding of the Word of God and His presence as the people whom we feed with the Word of God.
Rest the Body and the Soul
The greatest proof that God wants us to take care of ourselves just as much as we care for others is found in Matthew 11:28: "Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."
Jesus makes an invitation to those who are tired and exhausted from dying to the self and to experience His rest.
Dying to our selfish desires, our fears, our apprehension and our doubts are important. But there is also a call for us to love ourselves and to be good stewards of our own being as God has blessed us with our bodies, spirits and souls so that He can use it for His glory.
