Stephanie Heidel, owner of Foundation Mindset, is an author and educator with a passion for mental health and holistic wellness.

Mark 12:30-31 ESV “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all you mind and with all your strength. 31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

For me, these verses solidify that self-care is biblical. Let me break these verses down and explain my thinking. It starts with the critical need for us to love the Lord with everything – our souls, minds, and bodies. Loving the Lord in all we do is the ultimate in self-care.

Loving Him with Our Souls

When we love the Lord with our soul, we take time in His presence which looks like prayer, worship, and being still. Hear anything lately about the power of meditation, breath work, and proper rest? Same thing, different lingo. These are simply soul tending tactics. This is self-care.

Loving Him with Our Minds

When we love Him with our entire mind, we value what we put in our minds. Flooding our brains with positive thinking, growth mindsets, and gratitude simply make us feel better. The Bible is filled with parables, poetry, and stories of how to apply these strategies to our daily lives. This is self-care.

Loving Him with Our Strength

When we love Him with our bodies, we take care of them so that they are healthy and able. When we fuel and move our bodies to the best of our abilities, we see the benefits in how we feel. This is self-care.

Loving the Lord with everything is a commandment of love, which makes sense since God is love. He is telling us that loving Him looks a lot like loving and taking care of yourself. This may sound selfish, but it is the opposite of that. Verse 31 goes on to say that once you love the Lord, it is time to show it by loving your neighbor as yourself. Did you hear that last part? You are to love your neighbor the same way you love yourself. If you aren’t loving yourself well, how can you love your neighbor?

I believe that God’s word was telling us what all the wellness experts are trying to get us all to hear now. Taking care of yourself matters. This is great news.

At Foundation Mindset, we equip women with Biblical tools for self-care to love oneself and love others well. View our upcoming wellness retreats and one-day conferences right here.