Do Not Let Good Things Get Away from You

Self-care. People, particularly Christians, seem to have trouble deciding whether the self-care movement is a good thing or not. Any mention of “self” within a church setting raises red flags and sets off sin detectors like smoke bombs.

Is there a difference between selfishness and practicing self-care? According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, being selfish means you care for yourself “without regard for others,”* and self-care is to “care for oneself.”† What the definition of self-care does not say is to disregard the needs of others. Jesus teaches us to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 19:19, NLT). Do you want your neighbor to collapse from overwork or not get enough rest? No! So do not imagine God wants that to happen to you. Jesus cautioned Martha to focus on what truly matters and reprioritize, even though she thought her service to others was more important (Luke 10:38–52). Jesus went off alone to pray (Matthew 14:23).

He slept (Mark 4:38). He wept (John 11:35).

He ate (Luke 5:29). Jesus is fully God and fully human.

He practiced self-care for His human needs just like everyone else, and He continued to minister to others. The Bible speaks against selfishness.

What the Bible does not say is to neglect yourself. God calls us to treat ourselves with as much love as we treat our neighbors because He loves us (John 16:26, 27). God is working through us to accomplish His goals (Ephesians 3:20, 21).

One of His goals is to make sure we are fit to serve.

He knows our needs. In 1 Kings 17, God provides food and water for Elijah. Self-care is not a sin; being selfish is. Falling off either side of the selfish/self-care path is easy. If you question whether something you do for your well-being is right or wrong, I encourage you to pray and look to the Bible. Friends, family, pastors, church members, authors, and strangers all have their own opinions on the self-care movement. Only you get to determine what God wants for you, the child He loves. Remember, not all ideas are evil, nor are they good, so be sure to “test everything and do not let good things get away from you” (1 Thessalonians 5:21, NLV).

Deidre A. Jones

* Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, s.v. “selfish,” accessed Mar. 5, 2025, https://unabridged.merriam-webster.com/collegiate/selfish.

† Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, s.v. “self-care,” accessed Mar. 5, 2025, https://unabridged.merriam-webster.com/collegiate/self-care.