Heal Yourself: Partner With God to Heal Your HurtНамуна

Prioritize Your Self-Care

“No.” I muttered to myself. “I’m not staying at this job for another second. I’m leaving.” I had stayed late every day that week working overtime without compensation. I was exhausted, but I wanted everything in its proper place when students arrived; so I stayed. I was willing to prioritize my students at my expense.

Prioritizing our self-care is essential to self-healing. Mark 12:31 charges us to love ourselves–we must love our neighbors as we love ourselves. Instead of prioritizing your needs and desires last on your to-do list, care for yourself first. As parents, spouses, siblings, and friends we are the caregivers and nurturers of so many. Yet, many times we fail to care for ourselves. We sacrifice ourselves to save others over and over again. I’m here to sound the alarm. In order to heal ourselves, we must embrace our self-discovery partnership with God. This includes prioritizing our self-care.

We have a responsibility and role to play in healing our hurt. Sometimes when we are hurt, we feel like victims. We feel helpless and powerless. As we partner with God, we reclaim our power to change our thoughts, feelings, actions, outcomes, and destiny. We are no longer powerless. Instead, we are empowered by the Holy Spirit to heal ourselves.

Stop avoiding confronting your issues and concerns but address them head-on. Stop ignoring red flags in your life: toxic behavioral patterns, and deep-seated pain. Let go of grudges and unforgiveness that have plagued you for years. Heal the wounds from your childhood and deal with the secrets that you swore you’d take to the grave. It is time to prioritize your self-care and heal.

In 2nd Corinthians 13:5, the Apostle Paul admonishes God’s people to examine themselves–to examine their faith. We must pay attention to ourselves: our thoughts, feelings, actions, and inactions. In Romans 12:1-2 Paul commands us to be transformed by renewing our thoughts, changing our actions, and evolving mentally and spiritually.

Heavenly Father, grant me the ability to navigate my self-discovery journey in partnership with You. Help me to consistently prioritize care for myself–mind, body, and soul.

What would it look like for you to prioritize your needs above everyone else’s? How do you need to take care of yourself today?

Prioritize your matters, and other matters will find their rightful place.