Why is Self-care Important for Christian Moms?
Self-care has been a huge buzzword for the past several years and is often used by women, but what does self-care really mean? Oftentimes when people hear the word self-care, they tend to think of someone getting their hair styled, getting their nails manicured, or getting a massage. Although those activities make us feel good and look good, self-care is so much more than that so, let’s define self-care. The Oxford Language definition of self-care is “the practice of taking action to preserve or improve one's own health” and “the practice of taking an active role in protecting one's own well-being and happiness in particular during a period of stress.”
For me, self-care is about taking action to nourish yourself mentally, physically, emotionally, socially, and spiritually. As Christians, our self-care practices should align with the Word of God so that we are nourishing ourselves not for selfish gain, but in order to adequately serve and show up as the best version of ourselves in all the many roles that we have in life.
Self-care allows us to serve our children, spouses, loved ones, our community, and others with the best of ourselves and not what is left of us. It does not feel great when you feel like you have nothing else left to give and you are operating on fumes and not fuel. So, as Christian women, we need direction from our Heavenly Father on exactly what to do to care for ourselves and serve Him in the many roles that He has given us. Motherhood is a BIG one!
When we do not practice self-care based on biblical principles, we cause stress, overwhelm, and burnout to occur and become worn-out women. Women who feel worn out may experience a plethora of mental, emotional, and physical health problems including high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, sleep problems, fatigue, irritability, anger, frustration, headaches, muscle tension, muscle pain, lack of focus, lack of motivation, anxiety, restlessness, depression, stomach upset, chest pain, change in sex drive, and more.
So if self-care is so important, why are so many moms neglecting self-care? Several barriers to practicing self-care include:
Lack of time
Lack of organization
Feelings of guilt, shame, or selfishness
Lack of support
Lack of money
Lack of energy and feeling exhausted
Don’t know what to do
lack of time with God- not receiving direction and clarity on what He wants you to focus your time on
These barriers lead to the things we would love to do and need to do for ourselves to get pushed to the side and we end up feeling depleted. We have to ensure our needs are being met and make ourselves a priority in our lives just like we make our loved ones a priority. It’s not about making sure we put ourselves first, but remembering that we are just as important as everyone else we take care of. There is a popular quote that says, “You can’t pour from an empty cup…Fill your cup and pour from the overflow.” That’s exactly what we want to do as busy women and moms…pour from the overflow.
Self-care is also biblical. Sometimes, people say that self-care is selfish or it feels selfish when we are doing something good for ourselves, but there are several scriptures that support self-care. A few of my favorite scriptures that support self-care include:
Exodus 31:16:17- discusses the Israelites observing the Sabbath and how God rested on the seventh day.
Exodus 18: 14-27- discusses how Moses began to delegate tasks to some of the elders after his father-in-law told him that he would wear himself out trying to handle all of the problems the Israelites brought to him on his own.
Luke 5:16 and Mark 1:35- scriptures about Jesus getting away from the crowd or going away in solitude to have his alone time with his Heavenly Father.
Luke 10:38-41- tells the story of Martha getting upset about her sister, Mary, sitting and listening to Jesus instead of helping her serve the guests. Jesus told Martha that she was focused on the wrong thing and Mary was doing the right thing… sitting at the feet of Jesus.
There are many more scriptures that support self-care, too, and you can download my list of 30 Self-care Scriptures to check them out and use during your Bible study time.
As moms, it can be very difficult for us to find quiet time, take a break from busy work, delegate tasks to others, and prioritize what is most important for us to focus on each day and throughout the day. Despite the busyness, there are different ways we can prioritize self-care and nourish ourselves each and every day, which leads to healthier and happier moms living with more peace and joy in motherhood and beyond.
So, Mama, I want you to ask yourself, what is at least one thing you can begin to do in order to prioritize self-care?
If you are already practicing self-care, what is an activity that you want to add to your self-care routine? Something that you know you need to do to have better health and nourish yourself mentally, emotionally, physically, and/or spiritually?
Write down an action step that you can implement to begin a self-care routine or up-level your self-care routine so that you can be a healthier and happier mom operating in more peace and joy in motherhood and other areas of your life.
Let me know what action step(s) you will begin to prioritize in the comments. Let’s get nourished together, mama!
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