Ever notice that we, as humans, can be a little weird about self-care?
We can feel guilty about it, or feel like it’s selfish or unnecessary. In particular with my walk with God, I can make the mistake of zoning in on self-denial, and thinking self-care isn’t important to him.
In my mind, I can believe that God prefers me when I say “yes” to every request, pushing through any limitation.
I can think that he doesn’t like it when I set limits. Or when I choose to take a break, or take time to strengthen or to heal. Setting boundaries feels selfish when God does so much for me. (See related: Is it okay to say “no” as a Christian?)
Let’s be clear: Self-denial isn’t just important as a Christian – it’s key. Our lives center on God and not on self now.
But self care isn’t about self indulgence – it’s about refreshing and renewing our minds, bodies, souls and spirits.
These are aspects that God created, the ones we use to glorify him.
No, the Bible does not tell us, in so many words, to practice self-care. But taking care of yourself is assumed, a given.
The Bible says to “love your neighbor as you love yourself” (Mark 12:31 NIV). It commands husbands to “love their wives as their own bodies…after all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church” (Ephesians 5:28-29 NIV).
It’s not a commandment. But it is a given that we will take care of ourselves, that we do treat ourselves with love and consideration.
God cares about our well-being.
Something that always amazes me about God is that he meets people where they are.
He fills needs and has compassion on us. He can “empathize with our weaknesses,” through Jesus Christ. Hebrews 4:14-16 talks about this. In fact, verse 16 (NIV) says that because of this, we can “approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”
Jesus absolutely came to take care of spiritual needs and “seek and save the lost” (Luke 19:10). But you’ll find that he also had compassion for and healed the sick (Matthew 14:14), fed the hungry (Matthew 15:32), and drove out demons (Mark 1:34). He also found worth and value in the souls of people who didn’t feel valued in society – the Samaritan woman (John 4), the bleeding woman (Mark 5), and the paralyzed man (Mark 2), for example.
God’s compassion for our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual needs extends to you and me too, friends. It’s not for everyone except you.
Finally, self care only truly works to revive body, mind and soul with God.
True, fulfilling self care starts and ends with God. The kind of care that actually satisfies our needs goes back to God, like anything else.
We are made to crave him. We’re made to know him and grow closer to him. Real self-care gives us an opportunity to glorify him, to worship how incredible he made us, to appreciate his design and plan for our lives. He made us to be fulfilled together with him.
Otherwise we are simply filling a bottomless pit with momentary desires and what the world say will make us feel happy and whole. Some examples, for me, are buying something I don’t need, for the instant pleasure of having something new. It’s eating too much of something I know isn’t benefitting my body, just because it tastes good right now.
Things that numb or provide escape are temporary solutions, when cultivating ourselves in God is the only true answer. This is important when we consider a biblical approach to self care.
You’ll know when something is refreshing or when something is draining by how you feel later. Are you responding to everyday life with renewed vigor, inspiration, encouragement, joy, peace? Or are you left feeling empty, sick, tired, negative, or angry?
Today, I’m sharing some verses that I feel show what God says about self care.
I hope they help you feel less reservation about taking care of your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health.
And whatever you choose to do for self care, I hope that you always start and end with God in your plans, because he cares for and loves you.
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“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” – Jeremiah 17:7-8 NIV
This just reminds me to continually dwell in God, to have time with him and keep putting my confidence in him. That’s where real refreshment comes from. That’s what revitalizes us and keeps us going.
Self-care with God often draws us back to him. He is the one that brings true fulfillment and peace.
If we’re trying to do it without him, full satisfaction will still be out of reach. But when we do find refreshment in him, we find refreshment. We end up in an even better place to be able to give.
1 Kings 19:1-8
It’s actually a lot of scripture written out, so I encourage you to go back and read it for yourself. But in a nutshell, Elijah is in a place of despair, facing depression and loneliness. I love that the angel of the Lord tells Elijah, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you” (verse 7 NIV). God doesn’t neglect Elijah’s needs, even though he has a broader perspective of the situation.
“Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.’ So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place.” – Mark 6:31-32 NIV
“Jesus called his disciples to him and said, ‘I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way.” – Matthew 15:32 NIV
Jesus had a plan and a mission on this earth. But part of that mission was compassion for the people in his care. He took care of a variety of needs – as we see in the thousands of people he healed and fed, and also taught and guided and challenged.
“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.” – Mark 1:35 NIV
Here we get a view of Jesus having self-care time. He took time to himself (the only time he could – very early in the morning), and found refreshment in his prayer time with God.
To be honest, I don’t always view time with God as self-care. But when I find the discipline to focus my mind and communicate with God, it is absolutely refreshing and revitalizing. It’s setting my mind towards him, aligning my perspective with his.
“Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.” – 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 NIV
There are so many verses that talk about our great purpose, how we house the Holy Spirit, how sacred our bodies are.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 talks about honoring God with our bodies (in the context of not choosing sexual immorality); 1 Peter 2:4-5 and Ephesians 2:21-22 talk about how we are holy temples for God himself.
We’re reminded through all this that we are precious, and hold great value. Do we see ourselves that way? Precious? Of great value? How do you treat the things that are of great value in your life?
“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.” – 1 Peter 3:4 NIV
Here we see it again – great worth! I think it takes intention to cultivate that gentle and quiet spirit. Even the most peaceful women you know have to work at it.
Now consider: does it come from running yourself ragged? From always saying “yes”? No, it’s a balance: of taking care of yourself physically, spiritually, mentally, and emotionally, while also serving others out of the overflow of your heart.
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test what God’s will is: his good, pleasing and perfect will.” – Romans 12:2 NIV
We can take too lightly the idea of renewing our minds, maybe only adjusting it in the moment, as it comes up. But we can renew our minds in many ways, and I believe that can be an area where we show self-care.
I can find renewal and refreshment in time with God’s word, rejoicing with beautiful music, taking time to make my home a safe and comfortable place, exercising and stilling my mind. Whatever helps me set my mind on the following things:
“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.” – Philippians 4:8 NIV
“Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.” – 3 John 1:2 NIV
***
Let’s sum up these self care scriptures in the Bible:
- Our connection and relationship with God is the source of ultimate refreshment.
- God and Jesus show concern and compassion for our well-being – that includes spiritually, physically, mentally, emotionally.
- Jesus prioritized his “self-care” time alone in prayer.
- Our bodies are temples for the Holy Spirit. They are sacred and valuable.
- Cultivating a gentle and quiet spirit is of great worth.
- Renewing our minds and thinking of good things that come from above is part of our wellness and how we better tune in to God’s will.
- Health and wellness of the body and soul is noted in the Bible from one disciple to another.
When we’re seeking out self-care, consider:
- How can I glorify God with self care?
- How can I better take care of what God has given me?
- What kind of Godly character am I cultivating?
- Am I filling myself up things that leave me empty? Or am I refueling with God?
- Do I leave my self care time feeling refreshment and encouragement, or numb and tired?
How about you?
Do you relate to feeling guilty about self-care? What sorts of things help you to renew your heart, mind, soul, and body? What are some self-care scriptures in the Bible you appreciate?
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Thank you so much for helping me for know Gods word. Actually iam a school teacher .I am belongs to hindu family.so pray from jesus about me.
So cool that you stopped by to visit! I hope you left encouraged and that you get the chance to dig into the Bible again.
Hi! I’ve been struggling for a long time with whether or not it was okay for me to “self-care”. It feels selfish and unproductive. On a whim (I feel dumb admitting this) I googled “is self-care biblical?”. This blog popped up and your words moved me to tears. I forget (or ignore) the fact that God is compassionate to everyone. Which includes me. It’s okay for me to take time away and let God pour into me.
Thank you for your words! The Lord sees you and uses you. <3
Speaking of tears – thank YOU so much for your kind words. I read this on a day I sorely needed to hear that what I’m writing in the blog is useful to anyone. He is clearly using you too <3 And praise God for being the kind of loving Father and Creator that he cares about our well-being, that he doesn't think we're too small or insignificant for love and care. I hope you pass that message on to whoever needs to hear it!
Thanks for keeping this blog up! I often felt guilty about doing anything for myself, but not anymore. I can’t love my neighbor as myself if I’m always feeling guilty for taking care of me. I matter too! I matter first!
There are so many ways we can honor God by taking care of our bodies and selves! I also believe we can incorporate worship into our self care to make it still God-focused. And my friend Gina points out in a post that sometimes we choose others first instead of entitlement, and that’s a good thing too. It starts by keeping in tune with God 🙂 Thanks for visiting!!
I am in the same boat. I think I will just say “ditto” to your comment.
I’m so glad you found your way here, Molly! Hopefully it is helpful!
I love the presence of God so I’m always taking advantage of getting alone with Him. I am a mother of 2 elementary aged children, pastors wife and minister, high school teacher. My self negligence has caused me to put on weight, now I’m concerned about my health but feel like I can’t stop the wheels from turning and focus on myself. How do I create good habits (like changing diet, exercising) when I don’t have time for myself?
Oh Mama, you are BUSY! I stay home with my kids, and I feel like it’s still hard to make it happen. I understand about not being able to prioritize health because things are so busy. For me, instead of trying to plug in exercise routines or strict diets, it’s been easier to just incorporate healthy decisions into my life where I can. When you get time with your kids, maybe doing something physical together, like going for a walk or playing at the park. And having a friend to do it with you helps a lot. Maybe grabbing a friend and going on a prayer walk? Have it be part of your time with God? I wish I had the solutions, but these things do help for me! Good luck, Mama.
Thank you Im counseling for co dependence also I’m a Christian these verse will help me learn the difference between Self care and self seeking
So glad to hear! Stay encouraged and don’t forget to take care of you 🙂
I too struggle greatly with this, especially not saying yes to everything. I was wanting to crawl into bed and let my “not being able to do it all & feeling like a failure” be complete for the day. My husband has a severe debilitating disease and I have a 6yr old who is very gifted and homeschooled. Being a primary care giver with no relief is hard. I try to remind myself that my weaknesses just leave room for God in my life, but it’s hard sometimes. And today is my friend’s birthday party and I don’t have enough energy to go. I was talking to my husband and I was saying how if I don’t go, I feel like I’m just letting the devil win. His reply has impacted me so. He said, maybe what he wants is for you to push so hard and burn yourself out so you can’t do anything, he’s tricky never straight forward. So with emotions still welling up, I decided to look for comfort from God, get grounded. So I googled selfcare Bible verses and found your blog. Ty so much, it’s truly blessed me. I also try to remember that even Jesus needed help to carry His cross, and He rested when he needed to.
You are going through so much Michelle! I’m so sorry to hear that. It sounds like your hubby is a great person to help you stay faithful through hard times. I’m so glad you made it here and that it was helpful for you, and sending a prayer that you can take care of you, and that things will get a little less stressful.
Thank you so much for creating this web page. I too struggle with feeling guilty when it comes to self care. I am a Christian who is single and active in my church. Recently I was placed on medical leave from my job and was instructed by my grief counselor to practice self care and allow others to help you. I am physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually exhausted and drained. The scriptures, your inspiring words and the comments of others were very helpful. I’m glad to know I was not the only one that feels this way. Thanks for the reminder that God cares about our well being, our health. Continue to be a blessing. Thanks again!
Thank you so much, Latoya! It sounds like you are going through a lot <3 Sending a prayer that you can let yourself and others take care of you. It's definitely harder than it sounds! And so glad that these verses speak to you as they did to me!
Yesterday my husband and I were celebrating being married for 7 years. On the drive home we had a fun conversation about “whats one thing you would change about yourself?” we talked about our flaws and strengths and silly superficial things too. Then we asked “whats one thing you would change about the other person?” and I was cut to the heart when my husband’s reply was “I wish you didn’t care so much for others.” We have had this discussion many times before about not overloading myself and saying “no” and he explained that it wasn’t about him getting less attention to others, it was a deeper concern for my heart and how much I genuinely care for every single soul. I know its a gift to have this much compassion and its all tied together with using this drive to encourage others. I just don’t know how to care less without feeling like I’m not doing enough. And its not to please God or earn grace, but because I sincerely love Jesus and it overflows into everything – and our time here is so short, why not do as much as we can and honor everyone above ourselves? I guess when I googled “self care verses” I was looking for verses that talked about serving ourselves and putting our needs before others, but I mostly just see Jesus’ prompt to draw nearer to him and to be refreshed in him. I struggle so much with what feels like going against his servant hearted example and seeing my all-in 100% for everyone as a negative thing. I take what my husband says seriously, but it feels like it goes against everything in me.
Thank you for your words and for being honest and real. Thanks for taking the time to share this. You are one stepping stone into my quest for… I dunno… balance?
You’re a light! Keep writing and shining bright for others!
-Britt
Hm, that’s definitely an interesting conundrum! It sounds like you and your husband care deeply about each other, which is always a good start 🙂 I guess I see self-care in terms of, like you said, being refreshed in Jesus. I know as humans we tend to slow down when we don’t take care of ourselves well – we get sick, tired, unmotivated, discouraged, frustrated. Maybe your threshold is just way higher than most in your ability to give without filling up your own tank! That’s pretty amazing! And maybe your husband sees part of you that you can’t see when it gets to be too much – might be worth asking more about why he’s concerned about it. Anyway, sending a prayer for your search for balance! I think we all need more of it! Luckily God is perfectly balanced 🙂 Thanks for reading and your kind note!!
Truly inspiring with a practical notion of religion – Christianity raises the standards by grace.
So true! <3 Glad he cares for us even when it comes to caring for ourselves.
Hi,thank you for sharing this! I’ve been experiencing this in my life. For me, it’s not just that I feel guilty about self care but also that I think God’s will for me is to be self-destructive. I feel like that’s what self denial is about. Working myself out even when it’s harming me. Doing things that are not mentally, emotionally, socially and physically healthy for me. And the devil deceives me that that’s God’s will for my life, just like Job in the bible. It’s becoming a mental stronghold in my life and it’s affecting every area of my life to the point that people are noticing and they take advantage of it. People make me do things that nobody wants to do, they treat me anyhow because they know how I don’t feel the need to protect myself and it’s making me so frustrated. I need help please!!!
Hi there! I know just how you feel. It reminds me of the wall analogy from the book Boundaries – if it has holes, things get in and out that you don’t want, and the whole structure can break down. A wall with a door is healthy – it means that you get to decide what goes in and what comes out. It’s very difficult to patch up the “holes” when people get used to them being there. I think it just starts with the word “no” – it feels uncomfortable at first, but practicing it makes it easier the next time.
Also, it encourages me, and might encourage you, to remember the truth about God – that he sets boundaries in his relationship with us. He allows us to make our own decisions, good and bad. And there are things he doesn’t allow in our relationship with him. It sets a tone for me in my relationships that I need to protect what is essential for me, and to allow others to make their own decisions and sometimes mistakes. I hope you’re able to do some soul-searching and figure out what your priorities are – and then to protect those as much as possible!
How can I get a copy of this article to keep referring to it because I need this true information to help me! Thanks
Hi Vicki! I’m so glad to hear this was helpful, and you know what? I really need to create a printable for this. Thanks for the encouragement. I’d be happy to email this content to you as long as it is for personal use and not distributed. Feel free to respond to me here if you would like a copy.
I would love a print a la version to put in my bible and highlight.
I will send you one, Ali!
What a great roundup of and analysis of scripture!
Thank you, lady! I hope so! I’m discovering more and more that God cares for our well-being, even while he has expectations for us to serve and give.
Love these words certainly at such a time as this. I’m happy I discovered your site!
I’m so glad to hear that, Robin! I hope you’re taking care of your health in many ways during this time <3
It is not assumed you should take care of yourself it is commanded in 1st Corinthians that the body is to be treated like a Temple. Who ever is putting these post post up may need yo read where the bible says to lead his flock astray is bad!
Hi there! I wrote this post. And if you actually read a little further down, I included that verse you mentioned – 1 Corinthians 3:16-17, and also again 1 Corinthians 6:19. 1 Corinthians 3 says that your body is a temple – it never says “you must take care of your body”, but it is implied. Also 1 Corinthians 6 says to honor God with your body – again, not directly to take care of it. But if you honor something and see it as precious, you will take care of it. I don’t see God’s Word or my words as misleading.
I have numerous concerns, the biggest is for my 27 yr old son. He is physically not taking care of himself, teeth rotting away from drinking and eating to much sugar and not brushing. Not getting exercise just plays video games all the time when not working his p/t job. He is not interested in achieving anything saying he wants to be a Christian missionary but I never see or hear him oral or study the Bible. He has let himself go to the point i am almost disgusted with him but I love him so much . I am afraid his neglect will cause himself pain but we can’t talk to him about or he just explodes and claims up. What do we do?
That is a tough situation. We can definitely take “self-care” and interpret it to mean permission to do whatever we want, whenever we want. I don’t believe that’s God’s will for us – he says to “avoid all extremes” in Ecclesiastes 7:18. I’m reminded of 1 Thessalonians 5:14 – the Bible directs us to treat each individual according to their needs, and sometimes those needs are encouragement (for the disheartened), help (for the weak), and warnings (for the idle) – while having patience with everyone. Perhaps it’s time to take the opportunity to warn him – that if he wants to go out and represent Christ on the mission field, it starts where you are, in your own home and community and town. The disciplines he will need there must be cultivated where he already is. Sending a prayer for you to be able to effectively communicate with him, and for your own patience in trying moments!
I thank you for these scriptures on self care. I am in need of taking care of myself. I have not been doing so well lately in this area.
I have been browsing the internet for self care, and came across several areas, where there’s scriptures
on self care. I will also, be looking for writing prompts, and quotes on self care.
Again, thank you for this information.
I love the idea of doing some writing prompts! I might need to do a post on that. Thank you, Teresa. I hope these words continue to resonate and you are reminded about how much God cares for your whole wellbeing.