As a Christian, sometimes (like, every 5 minutes or so) you will need to choose between biblical teaching and what has come to be known as ‘self care.’
Experts in biology, psychology, and sociology agree that your well being requires a certain amount of self care. Experts in propaganda, deception, and manipulation agree that no matter how much of your day is dedicated to ‘me time’; it’s not enough. The reason that you are anxious, unhappy, and insufferable is because you’re not spending enough time thinking of yourself.
The closest Jesus ever came to recommending ‘self care’ is when He commanded you to love your neighbor as yourself. You’re supposed to treat your neighbor the way you want to be treated so it is appropriate to spend a moment or two thinking about what kind of treatment you prefer. If you don’t know how to treat yourself well, you can’t treat others well. HOWEVER — Jesus didn’t give you permission to make your wellness a full-time job.
I’m sure this is true because it was also Jesus who told you that God will take care of you the same way he takes care of birds (Luke 12:24 if you care to look it up). Jesus never even HINTED at the idea that you won’t be okay if you don’t commit energy to caring for yourself. In fact, he flat-out said that worrying won’t change anything (Luke 12:25).
Modern false prophets will try to convince you that the most important thing you can do with your life is obsess about you. They are quite clever and if you’re not paying attention, they’ll have you believing that thinking about yourself is actually thinking about others. They will package your selfishness as thoughtful concern for the well being of loved ones. The phrase goes something like, “You can’t love others until you love yourself.”
The false prophets will also try to tell you that certain people don’t ‘deserve’ your time and attention. If you allow it, they’ll teach you to prioritize people according to how they have treated you. It’s almost the OPPOSITE of what Jesus said. You’ll start cutting ‘toxic people’ out of your life not for THEIR sake, but for YOUR sake. The god of ‘self care’ does not share the throne.
“John, you jerk! You’re saying it’s okay to let people abuse me!”
I’m saying that as a Christian, your first thought shouldn’t be for yourself. Pretending that I’m pro-abuse doesn’t change what Jesus told you. The best ‘self care’ habits are those that bring you closer to God.
“And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them.”
(Luke 12:29)
