As a Christian therapist, I have clients who struggle with this question. Because as a Christian, isn’t it wrong to do self care, doesn’t that mean I am putting myself first, shouldn’t I be laying down my wants and desires and putting others before myself? Let me just start right here with the answer (but you should still read the rest of the blog;)…NO, it is not wrong. Self-care is not self-ish, it is a self-must!
Why is it so important? If you are in any kind of helping role, whether as a pastor, counselor, Bible study leader, caretaker, family member, or friend; it is vital that you learn self-care strategies that enable you to be effective in whatever role you have.To be an effective, healthy Helper, you must take care of yourself . You will not be able to care for the person God has put in front of you, if you are not able to care for yourself first. Matthew 22:37-39 (NIV) Jesus replied: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus mandates that we love our neighbors as ourselves, but doesn’t that presume that we love ourselves? Do we really love ourselves when we neglect our physical, emotional, intellectual, relational, spiritual health? Loving ourselves and taking care of ourselves well helps us to love and care for others well. Isn’t that how we truly follow the “Greatest Commandment”
Self-care is not sinful, unbiblical, or ungodly. I would argue the opposite; that self-care is what propels us towards loving, caring, and helping hurting people. If you want to learn more about this, what gets in the way of doing proper self-care, and how to make it a part of your daily life, please come to the next Saturday Seminar:
Revive and Thrive: Helper Self-Care
September 16, 2017 9:30am – 12:30pm
Are you in a role of the helper? Whether as a pastor, counselor, Bible study leader, caretaker, or friend, it is vital that as helpers we learn self-care strategies to enable us to be effective in our roles. Join us for a time of exploring effects of helping including burn-out, compassion fatigue, secondary trauma, and ways to manage the demands of being in a helping role. Too often we try to run our lives on an empty gas tank, and expect we can do life on just fumes. Come be refueled and learn ways to continue to keep your gas tank full.
