"He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake." Psalm 23:3

There's a popular trend toward self-care. Have you noticed it? There are a plethora of self-care guides suggesting ways to manage everything from exhaustion to appetite through cocktails of autonomous effort. I find myself with unsettled feelings over this self-care movement. Why? One simple reason, self. The very phrase "self-care" should raise eyebrows. In and of our self, there is no lasting comfort or care to be found. Little done in our own strength or effort endures. Self-kindness! Now, there's something I can get on board with! After all, kindness bears fruit, the Holy Spirit kind, that prospers! There is only one source of care that soothes, restores, refreshes, and remains. The care of Christ.

The care of Christ must be our go-to for all that ails us. You see, His care goes beyond the flesh. It cuts through bone-tired weariness, broken-heartedness, stress and anxiety, boredom, discontentedness, and daily demands. His care reaches deep into our souls with a light that illuminates every dark place. His care is more than just a reprieve from the overdoing. His is care that comes in silence and solitude. It requires nothing of us but gives us everything we need.

Today, if you're feeling overworked, overrun, over-stressed, and find yourself tempted to find solace in spa treatments or getting in touch with your inner om, try a little self-kindness instead. Show yourself kindness by soaking in the love of the Lord. Show yourself kindness by escaping to prayer. Show yourself kindness by refreshing your body and your soul in His Word. His promise to you is this, "For I will satisfy the weary soul, and every languishing soul I will replenish." Don't accept counterfeit substitutes for genuine replenishment, my sisters. While the rest of the world strives to find comfort in empty attempts at the care of self, you will enjoy the restoration of your soul. Amen?