Walang taong namumuhi sa sarili niyang katawan. Sa halip, ito’y kanyang pinapakain at inaalagaan, tulad ng ginagawa ni Cristo sa iglesya.

Mga Taga Efeso 5:29

In an in-flight safety demo, nire-remind ng flight attendants ang passengers na in case of decompression during the flight, oxygen masks will automatically drop from the compartments above them. They also gently remind every adult to first wear their own oxygen masks before helping others. To wear your mask first is a sound reminder na bago mo tulungan ang iba, ikaw mismo ay dapat na nakakahinga nang maayos. Paano ka makakatulong if you don’t take care of yourself?

However, nowadays self-care is overrated. Society has pushed it to #lovemyself first mentality. Pero ano ba ang self-care? Does this give us a license to love ourselves and be selfish? Or is it a reminder that we are humans who need to pause and take care of ourselves?

Let’s take a cue from Jesus. He became human like us, and there were many times when He paused to breathe, eat, drink, sleep, and pray to the Father. Ganyan Niya inalagaan ang sarili Niya while He was fulfilling His purpose on earth as our Messiah. And today, He takes care of the physical needs of those who have a relationship with Him (Ephesians 5:29).

Self-care does not mean selfishness. The best self-care we can give ourselves is to be conscious of the presence of Jesus, allow ourselves to be filled with His Word, and rest from all our worries. Alam ng Panginoon ang mga responsibilidad mo at kabigatan sa buhay. Nakikita Niya ang pagsisikap mo na makatulong sa pamilya at ibang tao. Kapag pagod at pressured ka na, tandaan mong nauunawaan Niya na ikaw ay tao na nangangailangan ng pahinga. So don’t compromise your self-care. You can best serve others after you’ve rested and have been energized by Jesus.