When I started down this path of self-care, one of the first things my daughter warned me about was becoming selfish. I’m slightly embarrassed to confess this but I will. I have spent hours scrolling social media watching different women share their self-care secrets. I’ve seen everything from face creams they swear will make you look longer, lotions to miraculously remove the cellulite from your thighs, and perfumes to make your scent irresistible. I confess, I got caught up in the allure of it all. So it was clear to see what she meant by don’t become selfish. Praise the Lord, God convicted me. The verse He gave me to love myself didn’t mean to pamper myself… it meant something much deeper. In short, self-care is not selfish. It is biblical. However, if you find yourself solely purchasing “things” to make yourself look better and you neglect your soul and your spirit, you may be weighing on the selfish side of self-care.
How do you care for yourself without being selfish? I mean the word self-care alludes to one’s self. So let’s start off by removing the guilt around taking care of yourself. There are multiple scriptures in the bible that instruct you to rest… specifically to rest in the Lord.
Exodus 20: 8-11Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
We were created to rest. When we rest our cells recharge, regenerate and heal. You can’t be any good for anyone else if you don’t take care of yourself. This means resting.
Matthew 11: 28-29 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
I know… I know… you are thinking, how in the world do I take an entire day out of my busy schedule to just rest? Let’s start with doable. I want to challenge you to set a 5 min timer on your phone and sit somewhere quiet where you won’t be disturbed. Just rest in those few minutes. Let your mind focus on the Lord and how much He loves you and how these 5 minutes of you and Him are so precious. Take some deep breaths through your nose and exhale slowly through your mouth. Repeat this several times while thanking the Lord for all of your blessings. Then just quiet your mind, still mindful of your breathing and listen for Him to speak to your heart. Day by day you can build on this time.
I’ve been doing this for a while now and my quiet time with the Lord has increased to an hour each morning. It sets the tone for my day. I’m so eager when I wake up in the morning to get my coffee and sit down for my alone time with God.
Pray this with me:
Dear Lord, thank you for this day and for these few minutes that I can rest in you. Thank you for reminding me that self-care is not selfish and that it is something you tell us to do, over and over again, in your word. Help me to take care of myself today by showing me the little areas in my life that can be tweaked to give you more of my time. In Jesus Name, Amen.
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