Do you ever feel like you’re running on fumes, just trying to get through another day, exhausted from your responsibilities?
Maybe you’re feeling desperate for a day off, a vacation, or a night at home to binge-watch Netflix and eat away the stress of life.
I’ve been there.
Worn out, overwhelmed, and in serious need of rest.
The world is big on self-care, so in an attempt to recharge from my exhaustion, I’d take a break for a coffee date with a friend, read a fiction novel, or take a day trip. The problem is, whenever I came back from whatever self-care I indulged in, I was always thrown right back into the very thing I needed a break from in the first place.
The self-care didn’t fix the problem or make it so I handled it better, it was simply a temporary escape from my life.
If you’ve tried the world’s version of self-care and found that it was really only an escape from reality, satisfying a craving, or treating yourself, only to be thrown back into whatever you needed a break from in the first place just as stressed out and overwhelmed as before, you’re not alone.
As Christians, our goal in self-care is not to escape our life, it’s to live our life better. To have joy, perseverance, and a really deeply rooted relationship with God. Finding a sustainable rhythm in your life, and having a community that surrounds you when you need it.
Things the world is not pursuing.
In this series, we’re looking at five ways we can practice self-care as a Christian.
In the last videos, we talked about Sabbath, Scripture, Service, and Community Support as a means of self-care, and today, we’re talking about Gratitude.
GRATITUDE
If you’ve been tuning in for each of these videos about self-care as a Christian, you might’ve picked up on a theme at this point. Self-care as a Christian is so much about shifting your mind. While the world seeks to satisfy a craving, feel good, or escape reality, we as Christians need to have a mind shift.
Romans 12 says to be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Colossians 3 says to set your mind on things above, not on earthly things.
Philippians 4:8-9 says, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”
One of the best ways that we can shift our minds is by practicing gratitude. When we are consciously thankful for the things we have, our focus is drawn to the good stuff.
You’ll see more of whatever it is you’re looking for. I’ve heard it said that if you’re looking for yellow cars, you’ll notice a lot more yellow cars than you did before.
In the same way, we can train our minds to look for the good things in life. The true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, worthy of praise stuff, just by finding these things in our lives and looking for more of them.
Looking for things to thank God for, however big or small, is self-care.
Have you noticed how you feel a lot better after hearing a feel-good story than you do after hearing about someone’s tragedy or anger? In the same way, you will feel better seeing and noticing all the good things in your life than you do if all your focus is on what is hard, frustrating, disappointing, or concerning.
I’ve been challenged by this as a mama. When my son asks me to pick him up while I’m cooking dinner every night, it’s easy for me to become annoyed by it.
I can quickly see this as an inconvenience, an irritant, and an annoyance, or I can choose to shift my mind and feel grateful that my sweet little boy wants his mama. That he loves to be a part of what I’m doing and wants to be held and loved by me.
When I choose to see the good, there is so much of it, even when there’s an opportunity to see the bad, hard, or frustrating in the very same moment.
Practicing gratitude and seeking out the good can change your mind and your perspective, even when your circumstances stay exactly the same.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 says to, “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
God has you where you are for a reason. In your home, your family, your job. There is a purpose for where you are right now, and when we shift our minds to be thankful, we can start to see the good, lovely, commendable things even when our situation has not changed.
What an amazing way to feel better, be better, and live better – to truly take care of ourselves – when we no longer need to escape our reality or seek temporary satisfaction, but we can find the good in our circumstances.
Looking for more? Check out the latest blog posts below!
- How to Read the Bible and Actually Understand It
- How to Practice Self-Care as a Christian | Part Five: Gratitude
- How to Practice Self-Care as a Christian | Part Four: Community Support
- How to Practice Self-Care as a Christian | Part Three: Service
- How to Practice Self-Care as a Christian | Part Two: Scripture
