February brings Valentine's Day, a time to celebrate the love in your life. But, when it comes to love, we tend to prioritize intimate relationships. However, your relationship with yourself - and with God - are the most important ones you’ll ever have.
“How we think about ourselves — and treat ourselves — is one of the very first relationships we’ll ever have. [As a result], this relationship is extremely important because it can influence all our other ones (psychcentral.com).” But just like any other relationship, we still go through ups and downs.
Whether you’re in an intimate relationship this month or not, Pathfinders Pastoral Care Ministries wants to help you strengthen the love you have for yourself, and the love you have for Him.
Why a Self-Relationship is Important
Many may not even consider the idea of having a relationship with themselves, because it’s not something we prioritize as a society. But how we see ourselves and how we treat ourselves is just as impactful to our self-esteem as the opinions and treatment from others.
Unfortunately, “a negative self-relationship can hold people back even from pursuing goals that are within their reach because they stop themselves from trying... Over time, this negative self-relationship — and its impact on your self-esteem and behavior can have a lasting impact on your mental health, leading to increased stress, depression, anxiety, and social anxiety (psychcentral.com).”
Having a healthy self-relationship starts with knowing yourself. Getting to know your temperament, your values, your gifts and abilities, and your hopes and dreams - the you God created.
“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love." - Ephesians 4:2
Accepting Yourself and Your Blessings
With today’s media landscape, it can be challenging to not compare ourselves to others, but a healthy self-relationship starts with accepting yourself as you are.
“Self-acceptance enables you to understand and be honest about your strengths and weaknesses. By accepting yourself, you open the door to self-care and a much more positive attitude towards who you really are. This will create the opportunity to develop and improve yourself and your life (more-selfesteem.com).”
Making Time for Yourself
Like any good relationship, you need to set time aside to nurture it. So it’s important to take some time for yourself and your needs. This can include prioritizing physical health, participating in activities you enjoy, or practicing gratitude.
It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day routine that we forget how truly blessed we are. Taking time to reflect on the positive things about yourself and your life will keep these positives centered in your mind. For example, recognizing the skills and strengths you bring to your job, and the blessing of being employed to maintain your lifestyle.
Making Time for God
Growing closer to God is like growing and developing any relationship. We must invest our time and energy into it. Being intentional about setting aside time to speak to God in prayer, sitting quietly to feel His presence, meditating on His Word, or seeking His wisdom all create opportunities to grow closer to Him. These practices allow us to learn about God's nature, to better understand who He is and what He desires for us.
We’re Here for You
We are all conceived with a unique God-given temperament which remains unchanged throughout our lifetime. At Pathfinders Pastoral Care Ministries, we utilize Temperament Therapy to identify an individual’s inborn temperament and the specific needs associated with it.
Temperament therapy will help you gain insight into why you do what you do and help you understand why you may be experiencing difficulties. If you’re ready to strengthen your relationship with yourself and with God, we invite you to contact us.