My house is a chaotic mess right now. There are couches stacked on each other, clothes and toys everywhere, and we can’t even get into our living room because the floors are being redone. All of this, coupled with my struggle with anxiety has made it very difficult for me to keep a clear head nowadays. My husband just came back from an extended work-related trip, after which we took a family vacation. It is in desperate times like these, I wonder, how in the world do other moms do it? I know I can’t be the only one struggling. There are single moms, working moms, homeschooling moms that have it all together. Am I the only one who is lucky to have showered and brushed my teeth before my husband gets home?
So how do you do it? How do you practice self-care in the midst of homeschooling, cooking, cleaning, working, planning, or whatever else it is that you do? I’m not going to sit here and pretend that I have all any answers, but one thing I do know is that we must DO IT! As mothers, we need to take the time to care for ourselves as much as we work hard to care for others.
I’ll admit, Scripture does not have to say much about self care, and I believe that is purposeful. We want to keep balance in our responsibilities and taking care of ourselves. If we look to Proverbs 31, there is a slew of things the woman described there does for her household and her family. The Bible has much to say about our roles as wives and mothers. In the big picture of these roles, we must keep self-care in the proper perspective. Self-care should not take up the majority of our time. We must also remember that although we call it “self-care,” Scripture seems to talk about it as it benefits others.
Here are some verses that we can apply to taking care of ourselves and how it benefits others.
“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31)
“There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience.” (Hebrews 4:9-11)
“ Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to adorn themselves. They submitted themselves to their own husbands,…” (1 Peter 3:3-5)
All these verses talk about how we should care for ourselves spiritually and physically for the benefit of others, whether it be our husbands, children, or the church body. So the next time we think of taking some time for ourselves, let us ask ourselves, “How can I take care of myself and how does this bring glory to God and benefit others?”
How do you take time for self-care?
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