Let’s talk about self care strategies vs soul care strategies today!

Self care is one off the most common uttered phrases in millennial motherhood.

Our culture is going a mile a minute and due to the explosion of social media we are comparing ourselves and our lives to many other moms.

It’s exhausting.

It’s not that comparison is a new thing. But the magnitude of who we compare ourselves to, has massively expanded.

Balance has always been something that every woman seems to strive for. And whether we are using the analogy of spinning plates or glass balls, something always seems to drop.

I don’t think true balance will ever exist perfectly every day. But I do think we can be strategic and intentional about shifting top priority plates or balls and temporarily allowing others to sit out. Instead of, trying to accomplish so much that all our plates or balls end up shattering, leaving us crying out for some serious self care.

I think when we are intentional about soul care the need for total self care doesn’t get so desperate. Don’t get me wrong your physical body is a big part of a healthy self care routine, but when we are neglecting soul care it doesn’t matter how much physical self care we do, we will always be striving for more.

That’s because God made us that way, with a healthy desire for more because He wants more for us. He put the desire for the eternal kingdom in our hearts.

So what do I mean when I say soul care?

The greek word for soul is psyche which is where the term psychology comes from. Our mind and emotions is the best way to break down what our soul is. When we are practicing good soul care, we are nurturing our minds and understanding our emotions. When our souls are healthy we are able to function at a higher capacity, live in community and have better relationships with others because we have better relationships with ourselves.

If you have ever done any sort of personal development work, losing weight, instilling positive habits etc I am sure you have heard it all starts with your mindset.

God gifted us with these incredibly complex minds. And he granted us free will. He is not a dictating, controlling God, who says things need to be one way only.

He loves us and wants us to experience the freedom that can only be found in His grace because of Jesus’ sacrifice for us. We are not of the law but in a new covenant. The Lord gives us guidelines in the Bible and uses our life experiences to sanctify us and make us more like Jesus.

So yes, in any area of growth, self improvement and self care it does start with the mind.

And when our minds have a strong filter through the lense of the Lord we can live a life of purpose and intention that is honoring to God.

When I think of self care, it is all encompassing of our mind body and Spirit. I think we automatically go to the body though. Are we resting, exercising, eating well? Doing things that fill our buckets? A night away from the kids. A fresh manicure or pedicure. More tangible things. I think we neglect the soul part of it a lot which can turn into just putting bandaids on things. Soul Care is the deepest part of self care.

There is also an area of care called spirit care, as we as humans are made up of mind, body and spirit.

As a Christian I believe, Spirit Care comes to having a relationship with the Lord – This is the most important form of self care – meaning we are connected to His Spirit and we are allowing the Spirit to work in our lives. We are living in obedience and not turning from the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is filling us.

I cannot give you advice to have Spirit care other than to lean and press in and ask for God’s filling of the Spirit but I do have some tangible advice for Soul care.

So first let’s discuss some positive soul care strategies as Christian mothers.

I hope after listening to this you will implement some of these soul care strategies in order to have better self care. Remember it is not just about your body and what feels restful although those things are important too. True change and growth starts with our minds and we need to constantly be working our minds through God’s lense, so we can fulfill our purpose as to why God has put us on this earth. We are all called to purpose, action and spreading God’s love. Let’s stop allowing the distractions of this world to distract us from the light.

Let’s Pray.

Dear God, our heavenly father. Thank you for giving us life. Thank you for all of the blessings you have bestowed upon us. Thank you for friendship, fellowship, community and connections. Help us to today Lord to see the importance of filling our pitchers so we can generously pour into other’s cups. Help us to focus on what is truly important, growth in our spiritual walks. Help us take care of our souls so we can be better disciples and gospel messengers. Help us to be the best moms we can be to our kids. I ask forgiveness for all the times I have not been a Godly example to my kids and I thank you for your grace. Lord I need your help. Every lady listening today needs your help. We cannot live this life on earth well without you on our side. I ask that the Holy Spirit fills us and helps us to live our our lives in fearless faith and powerful purpose. I ask all these things in Jesus’ precious name. AMEN