I was just writing an essay on how this year of the 'Ox' is exposing so many idols in our lives as restrictions drag on and we fight harder and harder for our rights (especially Christians unfortunately) rather than asking the hard questions of what God would want to do with this time in and through us.
It's as if the self care practices people began in 2020 have now become a life vest for us that we declare we 'need' rather than questioning if this could be a time to actually deepen our trust in real, practical ways and go deeper with God.
And I stand first in line of the guilty. I have convinced myself that I need all these books, fluffy self-help sermons, and inspirational quotes to transform my mind but it becomes a slippery slope of addictions to improving myself rather than giving Him glory and living selflessly.
The sad part, in my own life and even in the social media world, sometimes service becomes another form of self help or a coping mechanism rather than truly doing it from a heart that loves God and others.
There is a quote in 'Irresistible Revolution' that says something along the lines of "But I guess thats why highlighters exist. So we can highlight the parts of the Bible we like and ignore the rest" in regards to people disregarding verses about the difficulty of the rich entering the kingdom of heaven, and emphasizing those that praise our own freedom and benefit for ourselves.
Anyway, thank you for having the guts to talk about the stuff that most people just want to ignore so they don't offend anyone. That is a real breathe of fresh air for many of us and you do it well and with grace. :)
"These women don’t tell me to take a bubble bath and light a candle when what I really need is a hard look at my heart or attitudes or to plan out a challenging conversation. That said, they absolutely do tell me to take care of myself in other ways and at appropriate times (Lord knows I’m not taking a bath in our nasty cold-water tub in Djibouti!). They have poured my wine and passed me buckets of ice cream. They know me. They remind me that I am Beloved. They remind me to be humble. They point my eyes to the things that inspire awe - and truth be told, those things are not my Self."
Thank you for sharing that NYT article and your own insights on the instavangelist phenomenon (and for teaching me a new word!). As a committed Christ-follower, I balk at the self-centeredness exalted in the much of the self-care movement. Yet, as physician assistant in a psychiatric clinic, I am equally concerned with the incessant pressure many of my Christian patients seem to be under to "Do more, be more, serve more" and how their mental health suffers as a result. I think we're called to hold in balance both love of self and love of neighbor, following Jesus' command to love your neighbor as you love yourself. So, I really resonated with how you ended your piece: "Don’t just live your best life. Make the best use of your life. One way to do this is by looking outward."
YES! This describes my struggle since moving back to the US. I struggle to fit in as I encourage others to look beyond themselves and to those in need around us. Thankfully God has provided me with a close circle of friends who do get it and want to look outward too.
Thanks so much for sharing and initiating discussion around this very timely article, Rachel. I have followed - via social media, podcasts, email lists, and in other forms - several women whom I think would fit into the category of Instaevangelists (such a great word, BTW!) and have found over time that while certainly I have gained some good ideas and suggestions from them, more than anything I am left with an overwhelming sense that it is all relatively superficial and devoid of the practices and beliefs that will ultimately lead to fulfillment, namely spiritual practices and loving and serving others, rather than focusing only on our own well-being.
I was just writing an essay on how this year of the 'Ox' is exposing so many idols in our lives as restrictions drag on and we fight harder and harder for our rights (especially Christians unfortunately) rather than asking the hard questions of what God would want to do with this time in and through us.
It's as if the self care practices people began in 2020 have now become a life vest for us that we declare we 'need' rather than questioning if this could be a time to actually deepen our trust in real, practical ways and go deeper with God.
And I stand first in line of the guilty. I have convinced myself that I need all these books, fluffy self-help sermons, and inspirational quotes to transform my mind but it becomes a slippery slope of addictions to improving myself rather than giving Him glory and living selflessly.
The sad part, in my own life and even in the social media world, sometimes service becomes another form of self help or a coping mechanism rather than truly doing it from a heart that loves God and others.
There is a quote in 'Irresistible Revolution' that says something along the lines of "But I guess thats why highlighters exist. So we can highlight the parts of the Bible we like and ignore the rest" in regards to people disregarding verses about the difficulty of the rich entering the kingdom of heaven, and emphasizing those that praise our own freedom and benefit for ourselves.
Anyway, thank you for having the guts to talk about the stuff that most people just want to ignore so they don't offend anyone. That is a real breathe of fresh air for many of us and you do it well and with grace. :)
So much yes to this paragraph.
"These women don’t tell me to take a bubble bath and light a candle when what I really need is a hard look at my heart or attitudes or to plan out a challenging conversation. That said, they absolutely do tell me to take care of myself in other ways and at appropriate times (Lord knows I’m not taking a bath in our nasty cold-water tub in Djibouti!). They have poured my wine and passed me buckets of ice cream. They know me. They remind me that I am Beloved. They remind me to be humble. They point my eyes to the things that inspire awe - and truth be told, those things are not my Self."
Thank you for sharing that NYT article and your own insights on the instavangelist phenomenon (and for teaching me a new word!). As a committed Christ-follower, I balk at the self-centeredness exalted in the much of the self-care movement. Yet, as physician assistant in a psychiatric clinic, I am equally concerned with the incessant pressure many of my Christian patients seem to be under to "Do more, be more, serve more" and how their mental health suffers as a result. I think we're called to hold in balance both love of self and love of neighbor, following Jesus' command to love your neighbor as you love yourself. So, I really resonated with how you ended your piece: "Don’t just live your best life. Make the best use of your life. One way to do this is by looking outward."
YES! This describes my struggle since moving back to the US. I struggle to fit in as I encourage others to look beyond themselves and to those in need around us. Thankfully God has provided me with a close circle of friends who do get it and want to look outward too.
Thanks so much for sharing and initiating discussion around this very timely article, Rachel. I have followed - via social media, podcasts, email lists, and in other forms - several women whom I think would fit into the category of Instaevangelists (such a great word, BTW!) and have found over time that while certainly I have gained some good ideas and suggestions from them, more than anything I am left with an overwhelming sense that it is all relatively superficial and devoid of the practices and beliefs that will ultimately lead to fulfillment, namely spiritual practices and loving and serving others, rather than focusing only on our own well-being.