Self-love Can Still Be Other-centered

Ministry Tip of the Week

by Seth Evangelho

Just because there’s a need does not mean there’s a call. In ministry, it’s an endless temptation to do more than we’re called to do. When we care about other people, we begin to see so clearly the needs. Often, we get in-over-our-heads and take on more than we can handle.
 
One of the ways in which I’m able to discern this in my own life is by how much balance exists between work and ministry (and family!), on the one hand, and my own physical and spiritual needs on the other. When people rely upon us, we find ourselves caught in a dilemma. We’re pressed for time and the one thing most easily sacrificed is the time we’ve set aside for ourselves.

...This way, we don’t let anyone down.

So, then, there are two areas of self-love we must be vigilant about. We need to create a rhythm of diet and exercise (the body), and we need to be growing in the habit of daily prayer and reflection (the soul). In ministry, the need to cultivate a prayer life is obvious enough, but how often do we neglect the other dimension of our undivided nature?

Diet is an ongoing struggle for me. As it is, I love food and the battle with overeating is an area of sin in my life - which makes it tremendously difficult to resist our cultural habits of large portions, fast food, endless sweets, and processed everything. 

Exercise, I love. Unfortunately, not only are my energy levels affected by the quality (and quantity) of food I eat, but exercise is always the first thing I sacrifice because of responsibilities to others, which means I’m rarely getting enough of it. This has to change. If my physical well-being isn’t a priority, I’m not going to last – which will make my commitment to work, service, and family less fruitful in the long run.

All of this goes together. We often treat our bodies as a means to an end. We neglect them for the sake of “higher” things, and fail to realize that the physical and spiritual worlds form a matrix of sorts: what happens to one affects the other (on the most intimate of levels). A deeply nourished prayer life gives us the strength to resist the sins of the flesh that undermine our physical health. Diet and exercise continuously ‘feed’ the soul’s ability to sustain prayer and reflection. And they all feed upon each other. The more I exercise, the better I want to eat, and the greater my intensity to exercise. The better I eat, the more I want to exercise, and the better I want to eat. The more I pray, the more ordered my physical needs become, and the more I desire a deeper prayer life. 
 
These areas of self-love determine the effectiveness of our responsibilities toward others. Whether its work or ministry or family life, the love and dedication we show others actually benefits (in the long run) from the love and dedication we show ourselves, spiritual and physical. It’s never easy to form a good habit, especially when it means breaking bad ones, but it’s always worth it.

Happy New Year's Resolutions!