The Brave Hearted You: Self Care by Erika Sanchez

Hello Brave Hearted Steppers,

SELF CARE

                      

What precisely is self-care? It's simply taking time for yourself and pausing your existing obligations, even if just for a brief period of time. It is recommended to reduce stress and maintain a good relationship with yourself. Self-care entails taking care of our thoughts, bodies, and spirits. It is a necessary requirement for us to care for ourselves, our families, and our community.

Self-care encompasses various activities: mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical. It's more than just a cosmetic regimen or an external activity. To understand what you need to navigate your life, you must start with your heart. 

One of the things that God wants us to do is take care of ourselves. He has entrusted us with the responsibility of maintaining our health and wellness to the best of our abilities, as reflected in the biblical message, "Love your neighbor as yourself," as urged by Jesus.

We all have moments when we need to get back on track with ourselves. There may have been a time when we lost ourselves due to various life challenges, such as being a mother, or a wife, experiencing the loss of a loved one, or a divorce. Self-care is a topic that God addresses in the Bible, encouraging us to exercise self-control and care for our physical bodies (1 Corinthians 9:25–27).

I personally experienced a challenging period during my divorce. It consumed me mentally, emotionally, and physically. It took approximately a year and a half to regain my balance. Throughout my recovery, I turned to prayer and the Bible for guidance. I wouldn't be where I am today without God. His voice spoke to me in various ways, including through His word. His words cleansed, revived, and directed me away from a state of oppression. As I read His word, I heard a comforting voice saying, "Get up!" I asked, "What would you like me to do, God?" He directed me to Matthew 12:30–31, emphasizing that I can't pour from an empty cup.

Neglecting self-care can hinder our ability to practice good stewardship and help others. God reminds us that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit, and we must renew our minds. This care includes not only our minds and spirits but also our bodies. By caring for ourselves, we honor God, refresh our souls, renew our minds, and tend to our physical well-being.

Through Christ, our old patterns of thinking and behaving are renewed, and the old self passes away, making way for a new creature in Christ.

We must practice self-care on a daily basis, starting with our minds, hearts, spirits, and bodies.

Mind: Jesus challenged people to change their thinking because reading the Bible alone is not enough; our minds must also change.

Heart: God is greater than our hearts, and when things don't make sense to our hearts, we must trust in the Lord with all our hearts (1 John 3:20; Proverbs 3:5).

Spirit: Jesus taught that the Holy Spirit would testify of Him (John 15:26).

Bodies: God reminds us that He is our creator and that we should not harm our bodies or the bodies of others.

While taking care of ourselves outwardly is not a bad thing, there is an inward beauty that is far more precious to God.

Blessings,

Erika Sanchez