by Lisa Kimrey RN, BSN, MBA

A day in the center:

• Torrents of emotion flood your mind as the abortion-minded client walks out the door. You lift fervent prayers for her return.
• Beautiful brown hair falling over her downcast eyes (when her boyfriend is present) shows there's more to this story.
• The symptoms she's describing are as dangerous as the lifestyle she's living. You pray there is some way to get her off the streets.

Serving in Pregnancy Center Ministry is Stressful!

You see the clients who come in hurting. The enemy’s lies are weaved, even knotted, inside their stories. You teach. You pray. You fight. You hope. You never give up.

Why?

Because faith.

But long before lunch, your energy wains.

You need refueling. Without it, the enemy's lies will tease even you, the saint soldier.

The lies that make you wonder if it's worth the effort. Or, worry your words aren’t making a difference. The lies that create urgency; to hurry through—maybe skip—your necessary refuel and recharge.

But! You are equipped to overcome the enemy’s distractions. You decide to rest. You eat a nourishing meal. And so, God is pleased.

You Are Equipped for It All

The Lord gave you your calling, your spiritual gifts, and your form. Particularly in ministry, these all work together. Have you ever thought about the synergy between these three?

Your calling is to love the unborn. Thus, you say and do things that you never imagined you would, or could do.  Life-changing things; life-saving things.

And, the Lord gives you the opportunity to use your gifts to share the Gospel—which you do daily in your ministry work.  

But, what about your body? How does it collaborate with your spiritual calling and gifts?

Let’s look at Scripture.

Psalm 100:3 says, "Know that the Lord is God. It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, the sheep of His pasture" (NIV).

“For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength" (1 Corinthians 1:25 NIV).

Scripture shows that God is the wise creator of your body. But, He created it in a way that requires you to provide the needed support. His design is NOT a maintenance-free form.

Why do you think He chose this method?

Because, when you take care of your body, you use your gifts for your calling at your highest ability.

The Lord fully expects you to do the proper self-care.

Thus, self-care is a way to show obedience to God.  A form of worship.

Obedience is the Beginning

Paul states, "Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in your midst?" (1 Corinthians 3:16) (NIV).

Temple worthy self-care shows obedience and honor towards the LORD. You glorify God when you do so because your focus remains on Him. You stay on mission.

Taking care of your body in this way will honor the Lord.

Perhaps, a healthy snack when needed. A short break for quiet or prayer. Getting enough sleep.

So, what do you do if you are not providing temple-deserving self-care? Where and how do you begin?

You won’t find the courage to start by looking inward (your flesh) or outward (the world).

You must look upward. You need to pray!

He Also Provides the Right Motivation

Your obedience moves your focus away from yourself and towards the LORD. You align with His will. You can trust Him.

“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him” (1 John 5:14-15).

With prayer, you are blessed with the confidence (or courage) to start doing the things your body needs for Kingdom work—even when it’s hard to do!

But here is the best part. When you center on the Lord, you move away from the desire to use your body for your pleasures and purposes, and towards the desire to use your body for God's glory.

Your desire to please God transforms into a prevailing source of motivation to start and continue doing temple-worthy self-care toward the Lord! And, it is another way of worship.

In closing, be encouraged! Your calling is no small feat, but it is so vitally important. It’s worth the effort, and your words are making a difference!

Remember that you are fully equipped to fulfill your calling to serve the unborn. Your unique gifts help you thrive in this ministry. Proper self-care is necessary to fight the good fight. And thankfully, you have everything you need for the battle.

Lisa is a writer and blogger at Mylifenurse.com where she provides ways to grow your faith while taking better care of yourself and family. She has 26 years of experience as an RN in a variety of settings and finds joy in writing health articles and insights from her nursing experiences. When she is not working, she loves to sit down with a good book and a chai tea.

Interested in learning more about using your faith to improve your self-care? See more here.  A mini-course introduction can be found here.