Relating Self-Care Practices to the Mission of God

Self-care and wellness are mainstream topics nowadays. Think about the prevalence of meditation apps, skincare regimes, and ‘sleep hygiene’. Everywhere we turn, we hear how important it is to “fill our own cup” and “rest well”. 

Those of us engaged in compassionate care careers are no longer unaware of the need to take care of ourselves like some previous generations supposedly were. It’s impossible not to get the memo: Put on your own oxygen mask first.

When we consider the popularity of self-care and wellness in the world today, it’s surprising that burnout is still a reality for so many. The World Health Organization defines burnout as ‘a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed’. 

People who serve in compassionate care are healers, caretakers, and companions for the sick and the suffering. They’re on the frontlines daily, facing struggle and death regularly. Healthcare workers are no strangers to burnout and fatigue. 

In an Exploding Topics article summarizing some of the recent trends in healthcare, self-care was named #3, following #1 the implementation of AI and #2 the popularity of fasting. So, if self-care is a trend, even in healthcare, why are burnout and exhaustion still so present? How can it be that those who know so much about health still struggle with burnout? 

 

Two Opposing Currents Named “Self-Care”

It might be because there are two opposing currents in this stream named ‘self-care’. From a distance, you’ll only notice the current you’re the most familiar with, but once you step into the river, you’ll become aware of something pulling you the other way as well. 

Self-care is trendy

The first current in the wellness movement is the world’s message. It screams “love yourself”, “put yourself first”, and “have me-time”. 

Self-care has been popularized. Celebrities sing about it. It’s the plot of movies and the topic of best-selling books. 

Modern people love the idea of investing time and money in themselves. Data also shows that millennial generations spend twice as much money on self-care and wellness as Boomers do (NPR, 2017).

It’s a wonderful feeling that almost makes you forget about the gentler tug of something else…

While “improvements in work demands, managerial support and role clarity may reduce burnout” for healthcare workers (Moses, Dreyer, Robertson, 2024), there also seems to be something else going on beneath the surface. It’s something that no amount of typical self-care can fix. 

“True self-care is not salt baths and chocolate cake, it is making the choice to build a life you don’t need to regularly escape from.”- Brianna Wiest

Self-care is selfish

The second current is not as strong as the first, and it pulls in the opposite direction in the stream of self-care. This current labels acts of self-compassion as selfishness and focuses on the soul rather than the body. This has often been the message of the Church throughout history, so it’s a tension that many modern Christians are familiar with. 

A disembodied spirituality has emerged where people choose to focus only on their souls and ‘the spiritual stuff’, letting their bodies take the punch. Surely, God will give us perfect new bodies in Heaven, so we don’t have to care about these temporary ones?

The second current is strong among those who grew up in Christian homes and who cling to traditions and practices out of habit. Taking care of oneself is considered shallow, materialistic, and perhaps even sinful, for it surely glorifies the self and not the Father.

So, which current is the true one?

“Self-care is never a selfish act – it is simply good stewardship of the only gift we have to give…ourselves. Anytime we can listen to the true self and give it the care it requires, we do so not only for ourselves, but for the many others whose lives we touch.” ~ Parker Palmer

 

The truth about self-care

When we go back to the drawing board and actually consider the life of Jesus Christ, we might be shocked to find that He engaged in self-care activities. Mark 1:35 tells us how “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” Luke confirms this and writes, “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” (Luk. 5:16). 

So, what is the difference here? If Jesus did this, surely it can’t be wrong to engage in self-care activities. 

Self-care is about stewardship

Self-care, when done the right way, is not about selfishness but about stewardship. Jesus did not slip away to go stare into the mirror; He escaped the crowds to gaze at the Father. If the purpose of your self-care activities is to glorify yourself, they do not glorify God. 

However, with that being said, we must also consider that God does care about our bodies. In Paul’s first letter to the church in Corinth, he writes: “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.” (1 Cor. 6:19-20)

“We cannot give our hearts to God and keep our bodies for ourselves.” -Elisabeth Elliot

If you are not looking after your body to the point of burnout, that does not honor God either.

Self-care versus suffering

Something that plays into our understanding of self-care as Christians is the concept of a Theology of Suffering. According to this view, suffering is a key part of the human experience. The Bible is full of it, and nowhere does it promise that we will escape suffering when we follow Jesus. 

“Getting what we do not want and not getting what we do want, is at the heart of a consecrated life in tune with the Lord Jesus Christ. Mistaken rhapsodic views of Christian discipleship as a life free of pain are just that – fanciful and fairytale.” – D.W.H. Thomas

If you feel like you’re having a hard time, that does not make you a bad Christian. It just makes you a real Christian. The good news is that God is strong enough to carry whatever it is that you’re facing. 

Part of self-care is soul-care. Turn to God with the things that are too heavy for you to carry. You don’t have to fear that you’ll burden Him with anything. He has time for you. You have His undivided attention. 

David did this kind of self-care in Psalm 42:5 when he spoke to his soul: “Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.” 

Self-care enables endurance

Consider Hebrews 12, which speaks about how we can finish the mission God sent us on:

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” (Heb. 12:1-3)

God is busy with a great mission – the Missio Dei. And you, dear compassionate person, have a very specific role to play in that mission. 

Since our bodies are where God chooses to abide, caring for our bodies can be a spiritual discipline. Those engaged in compassionate healthcare need to recognize that they carry the light of God in fragile vessels of clay (2 Cor. 4:7). 

If your body is broken, you won’t be able to do what you’re called to do!

 

Four rhythms for self-care to sustain healthcare workers

You need to learn how to take care of yourself holistically. If you notice signs of burnout in yourself – like a lack of motivation, a “whatever” attitude, and daydreaming about what it’d be like to give up or quit – try out these practical self-care tips.

1. Rest
   The pace of the modern world is not the pace of Jesus. We need to eliminate hurry and hustle from our lives and walk in-step with the Holy Spirit of God instead. Prioritize rest and put boundaries in place so that you can limit things that drain you. Rest here is not slothful binging. There are 7 types of rest that you can engage in to rest well: physical, mental, social, spiritual, sensory, emotional & creative.

• Reflection
  Take the time every now and then to pause and ponder. You might stop at the end of the month and look back at all that happened. Doing so will not only help you identify the things that made you feel burned out; it will also help you see which moments really sparked joy for you. Don’t only focus on your triggers, note your glimmers also. Reflect and ask God to show you His perspective.

• Relationships
  Community support can carry you through when you lose sight of why you started. When we get busy, stressed, and worried, it can be easy to want to push people away and isolate ourselves. Isolation doesn’t help at all. Build relationships in your life that allow you to come as you are, even when you’re not the life of the party on that day. Christians can find community in a local church or online.
• Renewal
  Spiritual renewal can sustain you when you grow weary. Don’t try and survive on stale bread. You need to get fresh manna from God every day. Think about a pool of water that stands still. It gets a little funky if there isn’t any new life flowing in. It’s the same with your faith-life. If it feels like things are standing still and your prayers are hitting the roof, it might be because you are in need of renewal.

Ideally, these tips can become real rhythms in your life. By utilizing these 4 approaches to self-care, you can walk in your calling without losing sight of your humanity. 

The aim is not just to get through this week and survive at work. The aim is that you finish the race and can hear the Father say: “Well done, my good and faithful servant!” 

 

Reflection & conclusion

Self-care holds the key that unlocks the door to sustainable compassion. Imagine if you didn’t have to feel so empty after pouring yourself out each day because you remembered to draw from the one true well that never runs dry. Self-care is not selfish, it is about faithfully stewarding the resources God has given you to complete the mission He sends you on. 

Isaiah 58:9-11 holds a promise for tired compassion care workers:

“If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, and if you spend yourselves on behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.”

 

Sources

• Bible Gateway. Available here. 
• Calm. n.d. Here are the 7 types of rest that can help you to feel fully renewed. Available here 
• Howarth, J. 2024. Top 7 Health & Wellness Trends (2024). Exploding Topics. Available here 
• Moses, A. C., Dreyer, A. R., & Robertson, L. (2024). Factors associated with burnout among healthcare providers in a rural context, South Africa. African journal of primary health care & family medicine, 16(1), e1–e10. https://doi.org/10.4102/phcfm.v16i1.4163 
• NPR. 2017. The Millenial Obsession with Self Care. By Christianna Silva. Available here  
• Thomas, D.W.H. Reformed Faith & Practice. Available here 
• WHO. 2019. Burn-out an ‘occupational phenomenon’: International classification of diseases. Available here  
• Wiest, B. 2024. This Is What Self-Care Really Means, Because It’s Not All Salt Baths And Chocolate Cake. Available here