Why We Don't Take Care Of Ourselves

So many people don't take care of themselves.

In my home state of Kentucky, we have an obesity problem. We have a drug epidemic. We have people who get far too little sleep, eat too much, and exercise too little. We have people who rarely read, watch too much television, consume too much toxic social media, rarely have quiet time, and neglect prayer.

Why? Why do we not take care of ourselves?

I think I know the answer.

I was in the FF pod at the Fayette County Detention Center teaching my fatherhood class to a bunch of guys who have really not taken care of themselves. All of these men were struggling with addiction (and all of the unhealthy lifestyles that go along with addiction). I was trying to get across to these men the importance of caring for oneself. It wasn't clicking. I was actually getting frustrated because the guys simply weren't getting it.

Then I jumped on an analogy.

These were guys. Guys like cars.

I looked at one of them and said, "What's your favorite car?"

He answered, "2017 BMW."

I said, "3-series, 5-series, or 7-series?"

"7-series. In-line straight six, 333 horsepower."

I said, "What color?"

He said, "Royal blue."

I said, "Leather interior?"

"Yep. Tan."

I whistled. "Man, that's a nice vehicle."

I continued. "What if I put that on a flatbed, rolled up to your house, off-loaded it, and tossed you the keys? It's yours. Let me ask you a question- would you open to gas tank and pee in it?"

He looked startled. "No."

I said, "Would you dump a bunch of mud in the oil pan? Let your kids use the bathroom in the back seat? Key up the paint job?"

All the guys in the room were looking at me like I was crazy.

I said, "Why wouldn't you do those things?"

He answered, "'Cause it's expensive!"

I said, "You wouldn't do that for one reason- we take care of things we think are valuable."

There was a collective, "Whoa," from the room.

"Guys, if you take better care of your car than you take care of yourself, you've got your priorities wrong. As nice as that car is, it can't think. It can't love. It can't even move unless you start the engine and drive it. It can't reproduce, it can't make decisions- it isn't ALIVE."

"Guys, that car has value, but you all are INFINITELY valuable. I'm a Christian," I said. "I believe what the Bible says- that you and I are made in the very image of God. We alone bear His image. You are made up of seventy-five trillion cells, every one of which has over six feet of DNA. That DNA contains more than two billion individual instructions, written in the language of God, detailing who you would be down to the number of hairs on your head."

The guys were silent.

"Maybe the only thing you learn from this class is that you are valuable. We take care of things we think are valuable. If you've neglected yourself, it's simply because you haven't realized your value yet."

I continued, "Have any of you had family with Alzheimers?" Heads nodded. "It's awful. When your brain is gone, it's gone. It isn't coming back. Anyone have knee problems, heart problems, health problems?"

Nods.

"When your health is gone, guys, it's gone. It isn't coming back. Let's take care of ourselves, guys, not because we are obsessed, but because we, as people created in the image of God, are of infinite value."

I would like to say the same thing to you. All of us have things we value, and we automatically take care of them. If you take better care of your house, your car, or any other possession better than you take care of yourself, you have your value system messed up. You are infinitely valuable. You are made in the image of God.

Maybe today is a day where you make permanent changes to how you care for God's creation. Take care of yourself. Take care of yourself like you value your body and mind. You'll miss them when they are gone. Value yourself- you as a human being are loved by God and are worth taking care of.

God bless you today.