Self-Care

Today's devotional is on the importance of taking care of yourself. We have to realize that we are all made in God's image -- in his likeness. We often think that our body is separate from our soul, but being made in the image of God and His Divine Trinity, we likewise have three aspects to ourselves. We have our mind, with which we choose to follow God. We have our souls, or spirit within us, which calls out to the Spirit of God. But we also have our bodies which according to 1 Corinthians 3:16 are the temple of God.

We need to realize that Christ gave His life out of His great love for us, and we can not take that for granted. We are made to live healthy lives and to take care of our bodies, but we often think that our bodies have no bearing on our spiritual lives. This is not true. Think how cloudy your mind can get when your body doesn't get enough sleep and how much clarity can be found in sleeping well and eating a good breakfast.

Romans 12:1 says, "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God -- this is your spiritual act of worship." Our lives should reflect God's glory and wonder -- and our bodies are the most visible indication of how we value God's gift of our selves.

Reflection Questions

Q: How have you neglected caring for your health, your body, your relationships? How might Jesus be inviting you more deeply into some area of self-care?
A: I don't really exercise. I'm not physically lazy, however. I do look for opportunities to play sports with people, but I guess I could be a little more adamant about ensuring that this happens at least a few times a week.

Q: What is experiencing burnout like for you? What do you do to recover? How has it changed the way you live?
A: I don't get enough sleep and then I can't focus on anything and I am irritable. I don't do anything to recover. It keeps me from being everything that I could be.