How Self-Care Honors God

At TRIEAUX, self-care is one of the foundational pillars of our community and philosophy.

But what does self-care actually mean when we view it through the lens of our relationship with God?

In a culture where self-care has become synonymous with bubble baths, face masks, expensive products, and convenience, I think it's important to go deeper.

Self-care is about nourishing your whole self so you can flourish in your everyday life. It can look like journaling, taking walks or exercising, praying and fasting, getting adequate rest, and becoming more in tune with who you are.

But ultimately, I believe self-care is about stewardship. It's about learning to care for what God has entrusted to you your body, your soul, and your spirit.

When Your External World Becomes Your Internal World

Currently, I'm going through a transition of relocating from one state to another.

There are so many factors surrounding this move. I've been navigating the uncertainty of being without a job and financial stability, returning to my hometown where grief is triggered on a daily basis, and trying to make sense of my personhood as I recently turned 30.

With all of that, I've experienced intense anxiety that at times has lasted throughout the entire day. It's this uneasy, almost electrical feeling in the pit of my stomach that comes and goes despite my efforts to control my breathing and quiet my mind.

Through introspection and listening to the Holy Spirit, I began to realize that my external circumstances were pressing so heavily against me that they were affecting my internal world.

I could go deeper into this another time, but here's the point:

When we allow our external circumstances to become the primary focus of our lives, we can lose sight of what is happening within us.

Now I'm intentionally practicing to live from the inside out, to find my peace internally rather than constantly looking to my external circumstances to determine how I feel.

This doesn't mean ignoring what's happening around us. It means learning to anchor ourselves in the peace given to us by the Holy Spirit. The peace that transcends all understanding (Philippians 4:7).

A few other Scriptures that speak to this kind of peace are John 14:27, Isaiah 26:3, Psalm 29:11, and John 16:33.

This inside-out perspective is part of what a healthy self-care practice can help sustain. When we intentionally care for ourselves, we create space to become aware of what's happening within us instead of constantly reacting to everything happening around us.

And this is where I believe self-care begins to honor God.

You aren't feeding your ego. You are nourishing your whole being: body, soul, and spirit.

When you take care of yourself, you're taking care of something God created!

You are glorifying your Creator when you care about who you are because of who you belong to.

Self-Care in a Culture of Self-Indulgence

In today's society, self-care has become a buzzword used to market almost anything from feminine care products and alcoholic beverages to workplace software.

The message being conveyed is often that self-care is supposed to make you comfortable, make things more convenient, or make your life easier.

And while there is absolutely nothing wrong with comfort, convenience, or enjoying the things that make us feel good, self-care becomes distorted when we begin to believe that our happiness depends on constantly consuming something new.

Social media can especially portray self-care as a self-fulfilling task, over-consuming, self-serving, and even self-idolizing.

The message can become:

Make sure you're filled up to capacity so you can live this happy, pampered life.

But self-care isn't the answer to every struggle or every negative experience we encounter.

Self-care isn't a bandaid for our problems.

Instead, it is a tool that will help us live a more fulfilled and intentional life so that we're able to give ourselves to our passions, our purpose, our relationships, and the people we're called to serve.

And I think we can see an example of this in Jesus.

Throughout the Gospels, we see Jesus intentionally withdrawing from the crowds to spend time alone with the Father. In Mark 1:35, Jesus gets up early in the morning, goes to a

solitary place, and prays.

He wasn't withdrawing because He didn't care about people.

He withdrew so He could remain connected to the Father.

And then He went back out and poured Himself into people.

He healed.

He taught.

He loved.

He served.

He gave of Himself in enormous ways.

That's what I believe self-care should ultimately lead us toward: a place where we are nourished and replenished enough to go out and nourish and replenish others.

When Does Self-Care Become Vanity?

Vanity is often associated with an excessive focus on one's appearance, achievements, or admiration from others. But Scripture, particularly Ecclesiastes, gives us another dimension to the word, it can refer to what is fleeting, elusive, or ultimately unable to satisfy.

And this is where self-care can become vanity.

Beauty isn't the problem.

Making beauty the source of your worth is.

There's nothing wrong with taking care of yourself, grooming yourself, enjoying skincare, getting your hair done, wearing makeup, or going to the spa. You should absolutely take care of your body in whatever ways make sense for you.

The question is why you're doing it.

There is a huge difference between caring for your body because you recognize it as something God has entrusted to you and constantly altering yourself because you believe your natural self isn't enough.

There's also a difference between purchasing a product because it genuinely serves you and purchasing something because you saw someone else doing it and suddenly feel like you need it too.

This is where comparison, trends, and consumerism can quietly enter our self-care practices.

We can begin to believe that we need the newest product, the most expensive routine, the perfect body, or the most beautiful appearance in order to feel worthy.

And if we can't afford to keep up with those standards, we can begin to feel inferior.

But I'll tell you this time and time again:

There is no real value in being the most beautiful person in the world.

There is no lasting treasure in being the most liked, admired, or desired person in the room.

The attention of man is temporary and uncontrollable.

So if your self-care practice revolves entirely around beauty, appearance, or external validation, it's worth asking yourself whether you're actually caring for yourself or feeding your ego.

Ask yourself:

Am I content with the most natural version of myself?

Do I love myself, flaws and all?

Would I still care for myself if nobody else could see the results?

Those questions can reveal a lot.

Because an intense focus on ourselves can eventually become self-absorption rather than self-care.

And self-absorption keeps us living from the outside in rather than the inside out.

Creating a Self-Care Practice That Leads to Alignment

So what does a self-care practice that honors God actually look like?

I believe it begins with understanding that true self-care honors God first, and in doing so, teaches us to care for ourselves well.

At TRIEAUX, we believe in caring for the whole person:

Body. Soul. Spirit.

Each part matters.

BODY

There's nothing wrong with having physical routines as part of your self-care practice.

Grooming and caring for your body is one way of caring for the temple God has given you.

So yes, have yourself a DIY spa day. Go to the spa. Take the long shower. Moisturize your skin. Do your hair. Whatever helps you feel refreshed and rejuvenated.

But physical self-care goes beyond grooming.

It also includes what you eat and how you eat.

It includes how you move your body through exercise, walking, stretching, dancing, or simply participating in activities that make you feel alive.

It includes rest.

The goal isn't perfection.

It's stewardship.

How can I care for this body I've been given?

SOUL

At TRIEAUX, the soul encompasses the mind, will, and emotions.

Your internal world matters.

Your mind influences your perspective, your decisions, and ultimately many of the actions you take outwardly.

This is why learning yourself is such an important part of self-care.

That might look like journaling.

It might look like sitting quietly and reflecting.

It might mean identifying what holds you back and what causes you to move forward.

It might mean learning to recognize your emotions instead of suppressing them or allowing them to control you.

There is complexity and beauty within your soul, and understanding that part of yourself is a lifelong journey.

You don't master yourself overnight.

You evolve over time.

Give yourself permission to learn who you are.

SPIRIT

And then there is the spirit.

In my opinion, this is the most important part of self-care because it is where our relationship with God lives.

Many people say they can't hear God or don't know how to connect with Him.

But sometimes the first step is simply making room for Him.

Spend time with Him in an undistracted environment.

Prioritize Him.

Pray.

Read Scripture.

Fast.

Worship.

Sit quietly.

Cut off the noise of the world and listen for the Spirit.

We can't expect to recognize the voice of someone we never make time to hear.

And this is where self-care becomes something much deeper than pampering.

It becomes relationship.

Self-Care as Stewardship

The goal of self-care isn't to become obsessed with yourself.

It's to become more aware of yourself so that you can better steward yourself.

There is a difference.

I don't care for myself because I worship myself.

I care for myself because I worship God.

I care for my body because He created it.

I care for my soul because He created it.

I care for my spirit because it belongs in relationship with Him.

And when I care for myself well, I'm better equipped to pour into the things and people God has placed in my life.

This is why I believe self-care should move us from inside to out.

We receive.

We replenish.

We become aware.

We realign.

And then we pour out.

Because maybe the goal was never to be endlessly pampered.

Maybe the goal was to become whole enough to give from a healthy place.

Self-care isn't self-worship.

It's stewardship.

And when we understand who we belong to, taking care of ourselves becomes another way we honor the One who created us.