A few months ago I started writing about an article on verywellmind about self-care.  (How time gets so far away from me, I don’t know).  But it’s become more relevant in my life again the last few months.  I had also included a quote from A.W. Tozier that starts by saying  “The Lord Jesus has never asked a hard thing of me.  My miseries have always come out of my own flesh, never from any burden Jesus ever laid on me.” 

I’ve been feeling some definite burdens as of late.  And in light of that quote, I have to wonder – what does that look like in my life and what do I do with it?  I have to admit, I have no idea what the next step is sometimes… 

The article starts by trying to define self-care and it’s importance in everyday life.  Today, I just want to address just that portion.  The author of the article points out that “Self-care is vital for building resilience toward those stressors in life that you can’t eliminate.  When you’ve taken steps to care for your mind and body, you’ll be better equipped to live your best life.” 

I don’t necessarily disagree with that idea.

I do think that following that idea alone is equivalent to putting a band aid on a hemorrhage.  Our world is hemorrhaging and crying out for justice and love and truth. 

One of the great things about how God made us is that even the knock-off versions of His truth can still bring healing.  People find clarity and solace is meditation whether or not they are believers, because that need to quiet our minds and hearts is so imbedded in us as humans that some benefits can be derived even when it’s not used properly, like when we really need morphin but even Tylenol will offer some relief.  We know that the word tells us to meditate on God’s truth day and night so it soaks in and permeates our very being.  We should be meditating and soaking in the word and God’s truth so much that it is leaking our from our very pores.  That it pours over to everyone around us. 

Have you guessed what I think is the real definition of self-care is? 

It’s not lavish or extravagant by the world’s standards – it’s not spending a week a month sitting on the beach or spending a ton of money treating yourself to endless spa treatments.  It’s about honoring the way God made us, the way He made our spirits, souls and bodies to operate, and He made us to be in relationship with Him.  Fruit doesn’t grow in barren soil.  So when our spirits and minds are to the point of overload, we don’t run our best, let alone grow and bare fruit.   We can take the advice of every self-care article and suggestion in the world, but if we’re not putting that relationship with God first, taking care to be soaking up His truth, it’s only going to ever be a band-aid, and life will almost always feel like a burden.  So if we want to really start addressing the issues going on inside of us, let alone those around us, we need to visit the source of life, the source of healing.