A Biblical Perspective on Caregiving

Caregiver and caregiving have become familiar terms in the last 30 years or so. In the U.S. today there are over 50 million caregivers—most unpaid family members.

As our population ages, the need for caregivers will continue to increase. If it hasn’t touched you yet, there is a great possibility it will.

While the terms are fairly recent, caregiving is as old as the Bible. The Bible records a number of individuals who would be called caregivers today.

Ruth’s care for Naomi

A clear example of a caregiver is found in the book of Ruth.

After her husband and sons died, Naomi, discouraged and with no apparent means of support, decided to return to Israel. But she encouraged her widowed daughters-in-law to return to their own families in Moab. Orpah kissed her mother-in-law farewell. Ruth, however, refused to leave her.

Naomi tried to convince Ruth to return to her people. But Ruth told Naomi she had already made up her mind and was totally committed to being with Naomi even as she returned to an uncertain fate. She didn’t know what to expect, but she was ready to help her widowed mother-in-law.

Ruth’s words of love and dedication in Ruth 1:14-17 are very moving.

Try to put yourself in Ruth’s place. Life has come crashing down, and you are contemplating going to a foreign country to help your mother-in-law. You don’t know the lifestyle or traditions, have no family and know no one else there. How many of us could do this?

Ruth was likely expecting she would be a widow in a strange country for her entire life. God had other plans for her. However, Ruth remained dedicated to caring for Naomi even after God brought her and Boaz together.

Others noted Naomi’s blessing of having Ruth’s care—“for your daughter-in-law, who loves you, who is better to you than seven sons” (Ruth 4:15).

Being a caregiver requires love and dedication to the well-being of the one who needs care. Like Ruth, caregivers must sometimes put their own comfort second to the needs of another.

Now let’s look at a few more examples in the New Testament.

The apostle John and Jesus’ mother

Jesus was nearing death. He looked down into His mother’s eyes and likely saw grief and uncertainty. It seems her husband Joseph was now long dead. Then Jesus looked at John. At this dire time, Jesus said:

“Dear woman, here is your son.”

Then He said to John, “Here is your mother” (John 19:26-27, New Living Translation).

John took care of her from that day until her death.

Jesus set a perfect example of caring for others more than Himself. As He hung there dying, He was concerned about the long-term care of His mother.

Jesus knew John’s character, love and dedication to duty and had no doubt John would be there for His mother.

Additional examples of biblical caregiving

There are other caregivers in the New Testament.

• In one of Jesus’ parables, a Samaritan man came across a man who had been robbed, badly injured and left for dead. The Samaritan postponed what he was doing. He cleaned the man’s wounds and bandaged them, took him to an inn and took care of him (Luke 10:33-35). Though he was a total stranger, he was moved to give compassionate care.
• Luke 5:18-19 tells the story of a paralyzed man. His caregivers carried him to see Christ, and when they couldn’t get through the crowd, they took him up on the roof, removed some tiles and let him down so Christ could heal him. They demonstrated a great deal of dedication and resourcefulness to help this person in need.
• Acts 3:1-3 tells about Peter and John encountering a man who had been lame since birth who was carried and laid daily at a gate of the temple. This was undoubtedly a case of long-term caregiving.

A labor of love

Many reading this article may be caregivers. If so, you daily lay down your lives and postpone personal plans to care for a family member or friend. You know how hard and stressful it is to be a caregiver. Thank you very much for your labor of love.

In John 15:13, Christ said, “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” Caregivers lay down their lives for others on a daily basis.

Most caregivers aren’t looking for accolades or praise. They do the job because they are dedicated and truly concerned about the individual needing care.

Caring for the caregivers

What can those of us who are not currently caregivers do to acknowledge and help those who dedicate their time to caring for others?

In Galatians 6:2, Paul encourages us to bear one another’s burdens. There are many ways to do this, but we first need to recognize the load that caregivers carry—and not forget about them.

Paul also wrote, “Through love serve one another” (Galatians 5:13). One big way to serve is to provide care to those who are caregivers. Help them carry their load—which can get very heavy at times.

Ways we can help caregivers

Here are six ways we can give caregivers the support they need:

1. Recognize and express gratitude to the caregivers. How many times have you honored and thanked them for their labor of love? You can send a note or call—or simply offer a kind word when your paths cross. In addition to words of gratitude, consider giving a practical gift—such as a prepared meal, cookies or something else they can use and enjoy.

2. Offer to help out when the occasion arises. For example, you could take the person needing care to the restroom or to the car if needed. You could offer to get snacks or refreshments. Anything that will give the caregiver some relief can be helpful, even if it’s only for a few minutes.

3. Get more acquainted with the people and their needs. Watch how the caregiver does things. Then, once you are accepted, offer to help and give the caregiver a little time away. Perhaps you could help out two or three hours every month so the caregiver can have a break.

At first the caregiver may resist your offer to help. Caregivers are dedicated to the person they serve and may feel no one else could do the job as well. This may be true, but caregivers still need some time to themselves.

The caregiver may also feel guilty about taking time off—even if it is only an hour or two. Be patient with caregivers and assure them that you’re not trying to take over their role but just trying to give them some well-deserved rest and time to attend to their own needs.

Caregiving is extremely stressful over time. Especially in cases of dementia or Alzheimer’s, caregiver burnout is a real issue.

4. Call or visit the caregiver occasionally. A text message or a card can be appreciated. Caregiving can be a very lonely occupation. Especially in cases of dementia, caregivers may long for someone to talk to. Just a little bit of conversation and intellectual stimulation can be very helpful. If you go to visit, offer to bring lunch or snacks so the caregiver doesn’t feel the extra burden of caring for you during the visit.

5. Pray specifically for strength and encouragement for the caregiver. Mention specific needs to God if you are aware of them.

6. Move beyond fear and worries about not being able to help. Especially in cases of dementia or Alzheimer’s, you might have apprehensions about how things might go and what might happen. The conduct and “conversation” of those suffering from memory loss and impaired thinking can seem strange. They may also act out, which can make those around uneasy.

It helps to realize that the person needing care is basically no different from anyone else, and he or she might appreciate your friendship and concern. A Christian with health problems—whether cancer, heart difficulty, disability or dementia—is still a brother or sister.

People suffering from dementia can still love talking with friends, even though the conversation may make little sense and the person might not remember their names.

Showing love and compassion

Christ said that one of the signs identifying His disciples is demonstrating love one for another (John 13:34-35). Caring for caregivers might be an overlooked way you can express love and serve someone else.

Paul encourages us to look out not only for our own interests but also for the needs of others (Philippians 2:4). How much active concern do you exemplify in caring for others? It is just one way we can apply the Bible’s admonition to become “a living sacrifice” (Romans 12:1).

Peter instructs Christians, “Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another” (1 Peter 3:8). Compassion requires action, and we can all act by reaching out and helping those who need help—and also by helping the helpers of those who need help.

Helping others is a major sign of those who love God and are followers of Jesus Christ. Being a caregiver, or helping those who are caregivers, is a vitally important way we can do this today.