When
we neglect our self, we have fewer resources to care for anyone else in our
life. As codependents, we push through our circumstances in order to help
others, but then we end up depriving our self of even more needed compassion
and nurturing.
God's
Word reminds us to provide for our self too (Mark 12:31). The more we neglect
the aspects of caring for our self, the more susceptible we are to physical,
mental, and emotional ill health. We also suffer in our relationships due to
our frumpy appearance and our grumpy attitude.
When
we put our needs last, this causes us to suffer from our choices in more ways
than we can ever imagine. A negative spiral of body and soul often spins out of
control, our relationships grow stale, and we are neglected by others as well
as by our own self.
Having
an honest conversation with our spouse and family will help us to better
communicate areas were we need their help in order to stop neglecting our own
needs. We can also plan times in our daily schedule to pamper our body, read a
book, watch a movie, fix our favorite dessert too, etc.
We
may need to receive professional help to heal from trauma from our past in
order to change our attitude about our role in life, and to love our self as
much as we love other people - after all, we are a person too. We also need the
compassion and care from our self that we give to everyone else.
This
enables us to experience more joy and peace, as well as to secure better
relations with our God, spouse, children, extended family, friends and
community. We grow to rely on God to give us ideas on how to look and act our
best. This puts an added spark in our attitude and a spring in our step.
Prayer:
Father
God, help us to renounce the attitude that Satan plants in our soul that causes
us to avoid our issues, to fluctuate between being sweet and angry, to please
others, to neglect our self, to attempt to control life and others, or to just
back down and to view our self as a helpless victim of our circumstances. Teach
us to evaluate our strengths and weaknesses, to own our responsibility to
contribute to the relational success of our marriage, and to humbly and sincerely
apologize when we are at fault.
Remind
us that as Believers we have a secure love relationship with Your Trinity, who
abides within us and richly gives us all good things to enjoy (1 Timothy 6:17).
Daily, Your Spirit transforms us into the image of Christ who abides within us
(Galatians 2:20; Colossians 1:27). Thank You that Your Son gave us a living
example of what it means to walk in Your will, and to reap the rewards that are
inherent in our relationship with You.
Thought
for the Day:
When
we stop neglecting our self, we also stop teaching the significant people in
our life to treat us in a subpar manner; as we calmly and honestly discuss our
needs with them, they are more aware of how to relate to us, to treat us, and to
have the opportunity to love us as Christ loves His church.
-
Ephesians 5:25-28
