How do you make time for self-care?
Self-care is often defined as taking time to take care of yourself. The idea is that we do so much for others that we forget to take care of ourselves.
Yet, the Bible tells us to love our neighbors as ourselves. It is implied that we already love ourselves. I always eat when I’m hungry, sleep when I am tired, work to provide for myself and my family, etc. I am very good at self-care.
However, we are not good at soul-care. Soul-care is when you use God’s means of grace to feed your spiritual life. I read the Bible every day, pray whenever I’m anxious or troubled, talk with my spiritual leaders in the church for biblical guidance, and worship with my spiritual family at church.
Those are God’s means of grace, what nurtures our soul. Soul-care also involves serving others and caring about other’s problems. You can’t do it with the mindset of self. Jesus said that we need to die to ourselves, take up our crosses, and follow Him.
Bad news: we have all lied, used God’s name in vain, stolen, and looked with lust. We are lying, thieving, blasphemous, adulterers at heart. We all deserve to burn in Hell for all eternity.
Good news: God is rich in mercy. He sent Jesus Christ, truly God and truly man, to live a sinless life, die on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins, and rise from the dead three days later. God calls all people everywhere to repent (turn from sin) and trust in Jesus Christ to save them from sin.
God will seal His people with the Holy Spirit, who keeps His people saved, transforms them from evil to Good, and keeps them holy. God makes everything better.
