30 ways Christian parents can love themselves better

Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

Mark 12:29-31

 You cannot really deny that love is a big thing in the Bible, it is mentioned over 300 times and a core of our calling as Christians is to love others. Time and time again in the Bible, and in our lives, we see Christians loving others so much they put needs of the community and loved ones before themselves, and when we become parents our needs definitely slip down the pecking order as we have little human creations that need looking after and nurturing. Granted, they are easier to keep alive than a Tamagotchi, but the demands that come with children mean that it doesn’t even cross our mind to put our needs close to the top. What starts off as sacrificing your warm brew and having to survive the cold, dissatisfying liquid leads to not having a clue who you are, and what even brings you joy these days. Now it is true that Jesus teaches that we are to ‘deny ourselves and take up our cross’, it is important to learn how to do this, however there is balance. When we reach a stage where we begin to believe showing yourself some love is selfish I believe we have an issue and that balance has shifted.