Sabbath and Self-Care

Here lies a woman who always was tired;

She lived in a world where too much was required.

Could this be your epitaph?

Clemmie Churchill loved to quote this couplet to describe what it was like to be married to WWII-era British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. While few of us could match the level of stress that was part of her life, I suspect many of us can identify with her appreciation of this quote! We may not want these words chiseled on our tombstones, but we know exactly what they mean.

In what follows, I’d like us to consider three good reasons for self-care. These reasons aren’t necessarily in the order of their importance, but they are all part of the big picture. All of them are closely connected with Sabbath since Sabbath is part of God’s intended rhythm for our lives.

Reason #1: Saving Yourself

Did you smile when you read Clemmie Churchill’s favorite quote? I did. Humor often helps to make a serious point, and while funny, this point is deadly serious. Ignoring self-care can have lethal consequences for our lives. When we burn the candle from both ends, we eventually shorten our lifespan. And it’s not just quantity of life; it’s quality, too. What kind of a life is it that is spent lurching from deadline to deadline? The person who said, “Stop and smell the roses,” knew much about this.

Reason #2: Serving Others

If you’ve ever been on a commercial airliner, you’ll be familiar with the safety speech about what to do if the emergency oxygen masks are deployed. “Put your own oxygen mask on before helping others,” the flight attendant says. The logic behind this is the same as making self-care a priority. After all, you won’t be in any shape to serve others if you’re too weak to help.

Reason #3: Honoring God

All of us are created in the image of God (see Gen. 1:26–27). As image-bearers, we owe it to God to take care of the precious gifts that are our lives. In this way, self-care is not selfish but a way of honoring our Creator. Just as we wouldn’t trash a beautiful gift, we owe it to our Creator to treat ourselves with tender, loving care.

So, now that we’ve been reminded of three good reasons for self-care, what’s stopping us? Maybe nothing! Maybe these reasons are all you need to make self-care a regular part of your Sabbath celebration. Or maybe you’re like me, and “knowing” isn’t the same as really “doing.”

If you still need a nudge to help you get past a sense that Sabbath, in general, and self-care are not things you can “indulge” in, let me offer a suggestion that has been well received when I’ve taught this lesson in retreat contexts. It’s a guided meditation that begins by acknowledging a certain level of resistance and skepticism to self-care. It leads us gently into a place where we can be open to the healing and peace that Sabbath offers. (Follow this link for A Guided Sabbath “Tapping” Meditation.)

I hope these reflections and resources are enough to help you feel that self-care is something you can incorporate into the regular rhythm of your Sabbath celebration. Hear this good news: Sabbath not only makes room for self-care—it blesses it!

Additional resources to use with this lesson:

A Guided Sabbath “Tapping” Meditation (Download here)

Music: “In God Alone” (Glory to God 814) is a meditative piece from the Taizé Community. The link shows how this short, repeated refrain can invite us into deep reflection and peace.

This material was originally created as an online supplement for the Presbyterian Women/Horizons Bible study, Celebrating Sabbath: Accepting God’s Gift of Rest and Delight by Carol M. Bechtel, a nine-lesson Bible study published by Presbyterian Women in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Learn more or order the study (available in multiple editions) at www.presbyterianwomen.org/bible-study/celebrating-sabbath.