Is It OK To Take Care Of Myself?

By Dr. Gary Chapman 

One wife said to me recently, "I'm so busy with my family, my job, and my church that I feel like I don't have any time for me."  Is this wife being self-centered?  Not at all. She is trying to balance her priorities. 

Believing that we are made in God's image and that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit, most Christians would agree that among their list of priorities would be caring for their own physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being.

We are told by Jesus that we are to love our neighbor as we love ourselves.  

The Christian who does not give adequate attention to his own needs will not long love and serve his neighbor.  

In marriage we must help each other find time for personal development. The husband who keeps the children while his wife takes a walk or reads a book is being a spiritual leader. He is looking out for his wife's well-being. When the wife returns the favor, she is serving God by serving her husband.  

Helping each other find time for self-renewal physically, emotionally, and spiritually is an important element of a growing marriage.

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Article written by Dr. Gary Chapman.  Based on the book, Now You're Speaking My Language by Gary Chapman.

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God bless your marriage and your family. 

Jim