by Graham Mol
This afternoon I would like to use my blog post for the day to highlight a brilliantly written article on an incredibly important topic especially during the times we are currently facing. In recent years I have learnt the importance of self-care. By self-care I do not merely mean things like brushing your teeth and brushing your hair (although that is part of it). To quote from the linked article below:
“Self-care is about helping the mind and body function in healthy and sustainable ways.”
Some may dismiss the concept of self-care as self-centred or even selfish, such assessments are the consequence of so much of culture telling you to “man up” or “suck it up” and “get on with it”. Some may argue that it isn’t Biblical. It actually is.
When asked what is the greatest commandment Jesus replied “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” He then continued to tell those listening what the second greatest commandment is: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:37-38) So often these commandments are summarised as “Love God, Love Others” and thus miss out a very important factor. We are commanded to love others as ourselves. There is an implicit command to love oneself. This is not a conceited love – for it does not end with oneself but extends to others, and of course comes after one’s first love anyway, that of loving the Lord with one’s whole being.
Let’s be honest, for a lot of us if we actually loved and treated others like we love and treat ourselves, people would call us harsh or unkind, maybe even unsympathetic tyrants. If we beat others up like we beat ourselves up… we’d get into some kind of trouble.
So grab a warm cup of tea or coffee and take a read through this article by Jane Born:
Learning about self-care from the Old Testament
God Bless
Graham
Hi Graham
An excellent article that you have sited and introduced! Thank you for publicly addressing this extremely important issue which affects everyone. All too often, mental health is skirted by leaders…masked, and not addressed! You show true leadership with this. I applaud you! Thank you!