By: Trudy Loots
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind”; and, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”Luke 10:27
“If we are going to ‘love our neighbor as ourselves’, we have got to make sure we are caring for ourselves.”
As a wife, mama, and Care Pastor, I am often invited into situations where I sit on the side of caring for others. Most of my days are filled with making sure my kids brush their teeth twice a day, or providing pastoral support to those who are walking through grief, crisis, or even just trying to make it through life.
While sitting in this seat, in all of these situations, is such a privilege and an honor, can I be honest with you? I grow weary sometimes. But the scariest thing is when I get to a point of burnout and ‘compassion fatigue’. Yes, there’s a name for that! It’s then that I finally realize I've not been caring for myself.
Don't get me wrong, I promise that I brush my teeth twice a day. But it's the other moments when I'm meeting with people within the church and offering them biblical advice that I realize I'm guilty of not practicing what I preach.
This type of care is known as “self-care”.
Self-Care is defined as the practice of taking action to preserve or improve one's own health. The most difficult thing about self-care is that no one else can do it for you. That's why it has the word “self” in it.
Within the last few months, I realized that I had gotten really good at finding rhythms of rest for my soul. I had healthy spiritual disciplines but when it came to caring for my body by what I was eating or drinking, I was way out of line.
With the help of a friend who is a fitness-nutrition expert, we developed a plan to get back on track. Isn't that the beauty of our God? He gives Grace to us as well as sends people into our lives…if only we would just ask them for help.
Maybe as you're reading this you recognize some area in your own life where you haven't done well with self-care. Maybe unlike me, you're a healthy eater and quite active, but when it comes to your spirit you feel like you're dry; or maybe you struggle with mental health. I want you to hear me say that first, there is Grace for you my friend. None of us have arrived in all areas of self-care and it can be more difficult during certain seasons of life.
The scripture of Luke 10:27 implies that God knows that in order for us to love those around us well, we must first take good care of ourselves. God has given us the gifts of our spirit, our mind, and our body. He desires to help us steward those gifts so we can love others well in the name of Jesus. Ask God to give you discernment, clarity and conviction to grow in this area.
Here are a few action steps you can take for your own self-care:
- Reach out to a professional for advice
- Schedule that annual well visit with your physician
- Take a walk through your neighborhood once a week
- Book a retreat
- Meditate on scriptures that specifically speak about renewing your mind