Spiritual Care is Self Care

Katrina Nicole Espiritu: Spiritual care is the best self care that they can make in their every day lives.

Hannah P. Limon: You know, not being stuck so much with what I feel I can try to do, but more so on what God can do for me.

Nikki Custodio: You know, I think God takes great care of us in a way that we are still able to manage our day to day lives.

Keziah Gutierrez: I think put God first and everything will follow.

 

[Show intro] 

Hannah: Welcome to the Heart and Soul podcast, where we have honest conversations that nurture our souls. And this is the start of our brand new season. So excited to have Heart and Soul back. And today we’re talking about something a lot of us think about doing, but maybe can’t find time to do that. We’re talking about self-care, how it can help us, calm us, soothe us. But is there such a thing as too much self-care? And how can spiritual care be self-care? So let’s talk about it. I’m Hannah, your host for today’s episode, let’s have a Heart and Soul conversation.

[Music] 

Hannah: I’m so excited to kick off this new season. I’m not going to lie, it’s crazy because for most of us, we’ve been listeners of Heart and Soul, and here we are. It’s quite a journey, and with me are also my fellow co-hosts Kat from the Philippines, Kez from Australia and Nikki here in the States, actually in California. Hi, ladies.

Nikki: Hello, hi!

Kez: Hello, good morning!

Kat: Hello. 

Hannah: So self-care, what do you all do for your form of self-care in your everyday lives? Just to let you all think about it real quick. Here’s a source according to Psychology Today:

[Source: psychologytoday.com]

“Self care in essence is the mindful taking of time to pay attention to you, not in a narcissistic way, but in a way that ensures that you are being cared for by you.” 

Hannah: So now we got a fair sense of what self-care is defined as by various sources around the world. So for us four here, how strongly would you all say that self-care has been integrated into our feeds? So let me start off with Kez from Australia, hi!

Kez: Okay, so for me, my self-care is actually quite different I think from everybody, my self-care is silence. That’s because of my line of work. I’m a teacher, and Hannah I know you’re a teacher too. 

Hannah: Oh yes. In elementary, though. You’re in high school, right?

Kez: Yes, I’m a high school teacher. But it’s still the same. It’s a lot of noise. You do get over-stimulated noise. So my form of self-care is just to sit down somewhere and just be quiet.

Hannah:  Relax. Be in the presence. 

Kez: Yeah, but, you know, doing that as well kind of helps me kind of just, like, calm down everything. Because I’ve got a lot of things to think about at work. And just gives me time to just kind of just take a break. So just take a brain break, as we say in the classroom. And so sometimes I just let my mind wander on just things: What am I going to cook for dinner tonight? Or what show should I watch at the end of the day?

Hannah: Yes, I know it. And same here. It’s also, it’s my dream job to just be in the classroom and teach. For younger students, they’re still understanding the world, and there’s just so much that they need to develop in their, you know, in their minds. But I get what you mean. There’s so many decisions we make in our jobs and for people in our age, there’s also many decisions we make as well, even in our studies. So of course, there’s just times when we just need to relax, take a breather. So, of course, I know there’s others who do, more active ways to take care of themselves through self-care. So let me ask Kat, hello from the Philippines. So what is it that you do to take care of your needs just for yourself? 

Kat: Oh Hannah, here in the Philippines the usual thing in the work is five days work in a week, eight hours each day. So it’s really stressful. But self-care, my form of self-care: taking time for myself, I probably strive to jog every week and catch up with my friends, and of course, I love journaling. That’s how I take time for myself. 

Hannah: Yeah, like self-reflection. You know, some common ways others have, practice self-care is, you know, journaling. Just reflecting on how the day goes. I’d say even what you said, Kat reflecting with friends. You know, sometimes we, you know, we vent or we talk to our friends just to give updates in our lives, you know, like, how often do you see your friends when it’s after work? You know, you’re still tired, but you just want to see your friends, Kat. 

Kat: Actually, my friends are always asking “When will you be available? You’re always busy Kat.” You’re going to relate to me, like, I was at work on weekdays and Church duties at weekends. So probably the other time around is for home chores, so I don’t have any time to catch up with friends. So when [I’m] catching up with friends they will message me that “Kat, are [you] available at this time. Oh no. How about this time?” So we’ll be conversing about our availability. So we’re going to talk about anything about us. About everything, especially about Church, about our Church duties. Because most of my friends are Church members.

Hannah: Yes, I agree. And it’s just I feel we can all relate. Adulting, right? But it’s so hard! We literally have to take the time to schedule with our friends because of our clashing schedules. But, you know, that’s part of self-care, right? You’re setting aside the time. You’re dedicating all that effort to be with your friends, not only for them, but even for yourself. You know, it’s just, how do you say it’s just a breath of fresh air when you get to just, not be with yourself so much, even though that’s not bad, but even be with good company. So, yes, I, I get what you mean. Kat. Especially from, you know, different sides of the world. It’s all the same challenges that we face as young adults. Now how about you, Nikki? So, whether your work hours have changed or it’s still the same with trying to find the time. How have you managed with self-care, whether for yourself or even just reaching out to others and the like? 

Nikki: Oh man, this is such a great topic. I think self-care is extremely important. I kind of draw from, from everyone here. So, I know Kez said silence, right? So for me, I like reflecting, I like reflecting, sometimes deep in my thoughts and I like to tie it back to the blessings God has given me. So, I want to constantly be in a state of gratitude. So there’s that. And I know Kat mentioned journaling, which is funny because I actually love to journal. I love writing down my thoughts after I think about it. So yes, I love journaling. also reflecting back and reading on those journal entries, and it also shows me how much I’ve grown throughout the past couple of months or even years. I’ve been journaling for a couple of years now. But personally, for me, I’ve been doing this new thing for self-care. I’ve been going on more walks. So yes. Yeah. So before I used to go to the gym, here and there, but there’s just something I prefer about going on outdoor walks. The sun is just beaming on my face, and I go to this park, I put on a podcast, you know, and I listen to music, and I just walk. And next thing you know, I’m just walking for three, four miles just—

Hannah: Oh wow, got carried away.

Nikki: I just got carried away. Yes. So, you know, integrating everyone’s answers, yes, self-care. That’s how I’ve been practicing it recently.

Hannah: I relate to that. I feel I need to be more accountable with, just physical activity overall. I feel I make excuses like, well, I walk around a lot at work when I pick up my groups of students, but, even then I would relate to, like, walking, just being outside, even at my school site. It’s such a nice place, especially now that it’s getting warmer, the sun’s out. But I get what you mean. Just dedicating that time to be out and about, being active. But now back to the main question. I did ask, and I feel that we’ve touched upon it here and there in our responses.

So we’re focusing on the correlation between self-care and spiritual care for most of us here. We’ve mentioned, you know, most of our friends, we see them at church, whether in our multiple responsibilities. We talk about our spiritual beliefs with our friends. And even, something that I can share, when I meditate or pray, whether my devotional prayer or even in the service, there’s times when, of course, I’m always in a state of gratitude. But there’s times when I also reflect too, with, you know, whether I need to find guidance in something or just think out my thoughts, you know, while in a dedicated place of worship. And, you know, we hear the hymns playing and it’s just that moment of peace where I can deeply reflect. So actually, just holding on to that thought, let’s open up our Hearts and Souls by asking what the Bible says with our guest here, Brother Donald, a Minister of the Gospel. So hello, Brother Donald, how are you? 

Brother Donald Pinnock: Hi, sisters. How’re you doing? I’m really enjoying your conversation so far. I want to point to Sister Nikki, who mentioned about when it comes to, you know, her exercise regimen because when it comes to self-care and spiritual care, there is a connection. There’s a correlation. I think you asked that a little earlier. And to prove this, let’s read I Timothy 4:8. This is a declaration of the Apostle Paul when he says this: 

Physical exercise has some value, but spiritual exercise is valuable in every way, because it promises life both for the present and for the future.

[I Timothy 4:8 Today’s English Version]

Brother Donald: So the Bible clearly teaches about physical exercise and spiritual exercise. Both forms of exercise are very, very important. But of course, when it comes to spiritual exercise, which is also spiritual care in many ways, that has a benefit not only for this life but the life to come. However, we should not dismiss taking care of ourselves. We need to look after our physical health through exercise, like Sister Nikki. When it comes to many others of you, I’m pretty sure you do have some kind of exercise regimen. When it comes to those who perhaps they have challenges when it comes to their health and especially the elderly. Well, they should get advice from a medical practitioner before embarking on an exercise regimen all of a sudden. However, we should also couple that physical exercise with proper nutrition, and we can never, ever dismiss the importance of having sufficient rest or sleep. Because yes, it’s very busy nowadays when it comes to a person’s life. But those are very important ingredients when it comes to looking after our health. It’s also been proven that an exercise regimen is beneficial, even for one’s mental and emotional state of being. So yes, by all means, we should be active and we should remain active in order to take care of ourselves. However, before I pass the microphone back to you, I believe it’s important to distinguish what others understand and even practice, as spirituality from what is spiritual in the biblical sense. Spirituality, nowadays, it comes as part and parcel of what is called manifestation, the belief that the universe owes a person success, that all the person has to do is to envision receiving something specific, and it will be manifested in their life. However, biblical spirituality is firmly based on one’s faith in God, who is spirit in state of being. According to the statement of our Lord Jesus Christ, it is written in John 4:24. Thus we ask God through prayer to bless us with what we need in life. We also participate, especially as members of the  Church Of Christ, in activities that are not only spiritually rewarding for us personally, but also we believe will please the Lord our God. I really think it’s important that at this point of our discussion, we establish this distinction between what the world calls this spirituality and spirituality in the biblical sense. 

Hannah: Thank you, Brother Donald, for that clarification and just budding inspiration from the Bible, because of course, that is where we based all the teachings in accordance with the Bible. And of course, again, just to reiterate biblical spirituality as what Brother Donald has said and feel free, Brother Donald, to also chime in in our conversation. So of course, in light with the Bible verse, we just heard, back to my fellow co-hosts. How do we find the Bible verse inspiring when it comes to spiritual care and self-care? 

Kez: I think that’s also kind of, related to in a way, me caring as well for my spiritual side because, when I’m quiet or when everything’s quiet around me, I get to think clearly. But then it also gets into a kind of self-reflection in a way. So I started to reflect, you know, like yes today was kind of really busy and really hectic. But, in a way that turns into like, oh, you know what? Like, I’m really blessed to have this job because this is my dream job, and I’m so grateful. And I just start remembering God and like, you know what? Like he gave me this blessing. And that’s all God. And so self-care is just making sure I feel okay. But then it’s also, you know, remembering who made me okay. And that’s our Lord God.

Hannah: For myself, I have multiple responsibilities. I believe each of you as well. and in a way, it does keep me busy. In a good way. Busy in a sense that I’m able to help out others in many different ways from young children from ages 4 to 12 to my other fellow peers around my same age or same goals. Being a part of the worship service and singing and helping out and beyond in the district. So through whatever means of help that I can provide, it all feels, you know, pleasing. Because I know that not only is it pleasing God, but I know in return I get, you know, the benefits I need or the blessings. So of course, that’s how I take it with when it comes to exercise, in that way, whether it’s mental health, self-care of course, this is how we exercise through those means, whether in our responsibilities or how we help out, around a community, you know, such as volunteering, which we’ll talk about later. Let me jump back to Kat. Just delving or discussing more about what we do in our responsibilities in Church. How do you connect that with the Bible verse Brother Donald has read to us? How do you find that inspiring when it comes to spiritual care as self-care? 

Kat: Everyone, we know that self-care doesn’t end as taking care of ourselves. According to Psychology Today or Medical News Today: There are four branches of self-care, like physical care, emotional care, and social care, and spiritual care. But then when [Brother] Donald just—give us the verse. Physical exercise is good, but spiritual exercise is better. And I was inspired by that because we can care for ourselves physically, emotionally, yes, socially. But the most important is spiritually. Because for me, as my own experience spiritual exercise is like exercising all of those already. For example, in our Church activities like INC Giving. Would you agree that it doesn’t end with spiritual exercise like, giving to the needy, the things that we offer? And because it’s not only spiritually, it’s not being as Iglesia Ni Cristo sharing our faith, it’s the moment also that we move. So we accomplished a physical part of self-care. Like we move, we do things for INC Giving so we can accomplish physical and social care. So we accomplish physical care. A social life, social self-care. We were appreciated by those we help. So we accomplished the emotional care. But then the most important is we represented ourselves as an Iglesia Ni Cristo, we share our faith, we share ourselves that members of the Iglesia Ni Cristo obey the commandments of God to help [the] needy. So I was inspired by that, because spiritual care for me is something a lot more over those branches of self-care. 

Hannah: Thank you, Kat for sharing. And I like how you broke it down with the different branches of self-care, which was…can you help me out here? Physical, what was another one, Kat?

Kat: Emotional. 

Hannah: Mental, emotional, Yeah. Emotional, mental, spiritual. Was there a fourth one? 

Kat: Yes. Physical, emotional, social, and spiritual. 

Hannah: Social. There you go, that’s social right? With how we’re connected with one another. And a light bulb just came up in my head just thinking, hey, we have all those benefits in the Church Of Christ. So starting off with, physical, health, right? We have our unity games in various forms. Well, I participated in Unity Games chess. So, that’s just mental exercise there. And I won, but it’s just, you know, some activities like that, we socialize with one another. What else, Kez? What—for Unity Games? Have you ever done any Unity Games? 

Kez: Oh, I…I’m always there for Unity Games.

Hannah: You’re always there. But… 

Kez: I’m always there but—volleyball and basketball aren’t really my specialty. However, I do get involved in different ways. So, if you’re in my side of the world in Australia, something that we like to do in the beginning before Unity Game starts. So Unity Games is pretty much a basketball or volleyball and other sport tournaments. For the big ones at least where we have, where we get different states to come and kind of compete, we have something called an opening ceremony.

Hannah: Wait a minute! I remember, you’re a dancer.

Kez: Yes! I am! I’m a dancer. That’s my sport. Sport is not my thing, but dancing is my one. That’s how I get involved in it. So I do get my physical exercise, and I think I just want to go back to what Kat was saying earlier where she talked about the four branches of self-care. And I think for me, you know, like being part, and what Brother Donald said as well about, making sure that we participate in activities to please, God, I think, you know, putting our spiritual, care first and foremost actually ticks all the boxes because, yes, I do get my physical care, but a lot of the reason why people do self-care is because of how much hustle bustle their whole life is. 

Hannah: Everything’s just moving. 

Kez: Yeah, I mean, for me personally as well, and so, you know, the way I get away from that environment of, like, stress and challenges is doing something completely different, completely away from that. And that is actually the things that I do for Church, and as well as that, like, I also get to make friends. Like, a lot of my closest friends I met in the Church. And so, that’s ticking my social box, ticking my physical box and my emotional box. Like, I am not thinking about what I’m going to do tomorrow. What’s the workload I have to come back to?

Hannah: You’re just there—

Kez: I’m just there! Like, I’m dancing, cheering, yes. If there was a competition for the loudest cheerer in Unity Games, I would win it. Every single time.  

Hannah: That takes energy. I’m sweating bullets when I’m cheering and screaming!

Kez: Yeah! And my watch goes you’re not moving. But your heart rate’s gone up. Oh, yeah, I know. So, I’m just overall happy, you know. And that is my form of self-care. And, all I did was go to a Church activity, that’s all. And, you know, and that and that’s like just a whole, evidence of, like, God will take care of us no matter what we do. 

Nikki: Honestly, it’s nice because you’re in the Church Of Christ. We have such a, you know, welcoming community of brethren. Right. And I know everyone touched upon the different forms of care, but I think there is an overarching theme, and something we can all agree upon is how spiritual care is the most important, and how we can all tie it back to our faith. And, like what Brother Donald mentioned earlier in the Bible verse, you know, we draw inspiration from these Bible verses. and I also wanted to touch upon the fact that I know a lot of us here, despite our busy schedules or whatnot, we we still try our best to be physically fit, physically active. And I remember an advice that a good friend of mine told me and she said that, you know, we should take care of ourselves because God takes care of us.

And from then I was like, you know what? Let me go on a four mile walk. Let me, you know, let me get my steps in, because, at the end of the day, you know, all these forms of care, whether it’s physical, emotional, social, it really all ties back to spiritual self or spiritual care, which is like what everyone mentioned is the most important. (It’s) the one that is our number one priority—our spiritual care. 

Hannah: Agreed. It’s like, you know, you want to make sure you’re in check with yourself so that you can give what you can. And of course, with all of us here, we can agree that, you know, if that’s not a check, you know, on our spiritual beings, then how are we able to give back to, those that we serve along with, but to the one that we serve, which is God. And of course, he’s done so much for us, and all the more it’s all the more pleasing to give back. 

So just to keep diving into what it means to be spiritually healthy, this is a blog that I have stumbled upon, for those, when it comes to those who want to practice spiritual self-care, I noticed again some tips that we even set ourselves, which is finding your purpose in life. For us, we feel that fulfilment when we serve in our duties, helping others through volunteering, practicing mindfulness, such as meditating in the worship services or our devotional prayers. In our case, how our faith connects back to God. And we feel that fulfillment by helping others and giving back. And we haven’t clearly defined what INC Giving is. It has relaunched just recently this year. The INC Giving Project is a project of the Iglesia Ni Cristo (Church Of Christ) that encourages volunteers to go into their communities and share their faith through acts of kindness, through many different forms and ways. I won’t list them all because I want us to talk about our experiences thus far. So how has volunteering been a form of spiritual care? 

So let me ask Kez. I know you recently posted a vlog about something you’ve done for the first time. If you can help us relive what was that like for you? I mean, it must have been nerve wracking. I’ve been there before. 

Kez: Yeah, so I did a vlog recently on my second time donating blood. Last year was my first time, and I didn’t get to do it before because of health problems. But now my doctor has cleared me. And yep, you can donate blood now. So, like, I’m so excited. so I actually just, vlogged my entire day of what happens, the process of going in when you’re donating blood, the health checks and things like that. Well here in Australia, a lot of the blood that gets donated goes to cancer patients. That’s one of the main goals of where the blood donations go. And for me, that was actually quite rewarding because again, it goes back to, doing something good, doing something good for the community, knowing that, for me, it’s yeah, it’s my blood. It doesn’t, affect me as much, but I know that that piece of, blood that I’ve donated will help someone a long, long way. And that, again, goes back to just doing things like that just to help us, have some sort of fulfilment or purpose in our life, giving back to those who need it.

Hannah: Yes, in a way, you’re literally giving, from yourself, your bodies. So for Nikki here, again, just highlighting some other INC Giving events that you’ve done or is in the works at the moment. How have you felt that fulfilment and happiness when you’re helping someone in need and overall connecting that to our spiritual care through those endeavours? 

Nikki: First off, I just want to say big props to Kez; donating blood is so courageous. I wish I can donate, but I’m anaemic. But anyways, our district and our local recently, we’ve been holding a lot of INC Giving activities. And fortunately enough, I’ve been able to participate.

We had one over the course of a day. We had a book drive slash canned food drive. So, what we did was we asked the brethren to donate books that they no longer read and donate canned goods, and from there we went to the library, and we also went to the food bank to donate everything that we received. And actually, I am part of a really big local congregation and we got a ton of donations, thankfully enough. And, kind of like what Kez mentioned, know whenever we possibly can, especially in the Church Of Christ, we aim to do good to those who need it. And I think it’s really fulfilling, whenever we participate in these acts of kindness, because not only are we giving back to our community, we’re also showing God that we can help out others in need. We can extend ourselves further and I think this really relates to our spiritual self-care because; oftentimes, right, when we hear the word we hear the word “self-care”, we, we think of ourselves. But I think self-care is an extension of helping others besides yourself. 

Kat: And INC Giving actually inspired me before, to launch an activity in our KADIWA organization; by having a clothing donation drive, for all those observance and to the church, for those who are probation in the church. And in relating to our discussion today, including donation. It gives me the sense that we’re caring for others spiritually because we want them to have theirs; first not only spiritually, but for them to have their own clothes to wear for the worship services. So we launched a clothing donation for them to provide the needs, to attend the worship service. So we’re not only helping, just to give them clothes that they need as those are of primary needs, but to help them have those things that they need when it comes to attending the worship services. The donation drive provides self-care, spiritual care because we care for them as they need it for our service as well. We shared with them the importance of wearing those clothes for our worship services. 

Hannah: And I just want to pinpoint here for our listeners, just mind you, we’re from different parts of the world, I’m here in Southern California, Nikki’s in Northern California, Kez in Australia, and Kat from the Philippines. So the fact that we’re talking about the same movement, INC Giving, it’s just phenomenal.

And being KADIWA members; or those who are 18yrs and above, and are single and unmarried; of course, it feels good to help others in need. And like you mentioned Kat, that extends beyond providing an array for the worship services because of course it’s considered a holy occasion. And what more, not only to provide material needs such as clothes, but clothing for the worship service. Of course, you want to look your Sunday best, right? So that’s so nice. Just hearing that perspective from the Philippines. I’m so glad you finally get a chance to get involved along with our other brethren and peers around the world. It’s literally global. We have, I think I’ve seen just a promotion on the INC Giving social media site. Right Kez, Nikki, Kat? Where the shirts were literally in different languages. In Tagalog, I think there is German at one point and you know. It’s literally international. So it’s great that all members in the church as young as four years old, our parents, other families and elders; they get to give back and in a way that connects us to how we feel happy and fulfilled in our self-care by offering back to those in need. 

Brother Donald:  If I can jump in Sister Hannah? What you said was very, very, very  poignant because all of us here, we’ve involved ourselves when it comes to INC Giving. Is it not? And what do you feel? Do you not feel a sense of gratification? Does it make you feel good when you’re able to help other people in need?

We’re not looking for vainglory when it comes to what we do. We’re just following or complying with what the Bible teaches. And you mentioned it earlier. It’s written in Proverbs 3:27: 

“Whenever you possibly can, do good to those who need it.”

[Proverbs 3:27 Today’s English Version]

Especially those in need. So that’s why the Church Administration is motivating all the members of the church to help or to participate, because not only are we pleasing God, we’re obeying his commandments, but also we get that feeling of gratification that is beneficial when it comes to our personal health. There’s the spiritual exercise, with its connection or correlation with physical exercise. There is a link there. So that’s why, again, when it comes to all members of the church throughout the world, just like what you are doing, beloved brethren, you know, let’s participate. It’s good for us. It makes us feel good. And we are helping other people; also, we are giving glory and pleasure to the Lord God. I just wanted to point that out. 

Hannah: Yes. Thank you, Brother Donald. And it’s not just limited to what we’ve mentioned with Kez, donating blood at the blood donation drive. Nikki, helping out at a book drive or Kat helping at a clothing drive. There’s so many other avenues that INC Giving can branch off to-  teacher appreciation drives, firefighters or a service worker drives community cleanup drives at the park.

Hannah: But by the way, just to add more, we did touch upon this earlier. And how else there are other correlations between practising spirituality or being connected in our faith and good health. So according to this website, the Mental Health America website, here are some findings. So first, 

“finding people who meditate or pray have increased activity in a feel good area of the brain.” 

Another point, 

“People with strong religious beliefs recovered faster from heart surgery than people with weaker faith.” 

Hannah: So just going back to the first point, people who meditate feel good in their brains. So what do you all think about that direct correlation between our physical health and how we practise our beliefs and practices in the Church Of Christ? And of course, taking care of our health is also a form of self-care, but more so touching on the point of how we feel when we know we’re not relying on ourselves, but on God. 

Nikki: That’s a really great question, actually, for me, I think prayer is a really great form of spiritual care. And, obviously we just have one life, we have one body. So the more we take care of ourselves physically, because it allows God to give us more long life, more strength, in our services unto him. But, I think God takes great care of us in a way that we’re still able to manage our day to day lives; whether that’s physical activity, whether it’s self-care. Ultimately, He takes care of us, in a spiritual sense. And I think that’s something that throughout this podcast, something that I’m learning as well, is, all of us have that strong sense of faith.

Hannah: Yes, I agree, and, I want to touch upon, you know, when I pray too, or meditate during really stressful moments, I would pray, I just take the moment to just check back in, be present and, ask for a solution and most times, not verbatim, I would just pray, I tried everything, it’s not working and I give it all to You – to guide me to the solution that will help me out of this. And that’s what propels me throughout the day. That’s what helps me move forward with, you know, not being stuck so much with what I feel I can try to do, but more so on what God can do for me. And he knows what’s best.

Kez: I’m going to go back to what I said earlier where I said, like my main source of self-care is silence. For me, that means, like, just a quiet room, where I’m on my phone or just, you know, reading. But I do agree with Nikki and yourself, Hannah, about how prayer and meditation just helps. And when I do get emotionally overwhelmed, and I do get emotionally overwhelmed a lot, meditation, during worship service, where I just sit and I just pray and it’s a different form of silence. It’s not like I don’t hear any noise. It’s like I don’t hear any of my thoughts. I don’t hear, like this, this, is my anxieties. And I don’t hear it. What I hear is like myself praying to our Lord God in a way, you know, I’m still I’ve just started my prayer and God’s already kind of like given me, metaphorically, noise canceling headphones. Like, that’s how I feel. And it just feels so, so good every single time. Because, you know, I’m sure all of you can relate in different ways how for a lot of us, the youth, a lot of the issues that go around worldwide for a younger generation is emotional and mental health. And we can read all day long about articles about how, you know, statistics and what to do. And we can go on social media and look at self-care, what you should do. But at the end of the day, you know, how do you fix your emotional overload? How do you fix your mental kind of mental block, I guess. And so for us members of the Church, we have that solution. It’s so easy. You just go to the worship service and then you pray and then you get your very own kind of like quiet and peace. And that’s what I really love the most about being a member of the church and that’s I guess, you know, that’s the correlation between, like, my own emotional and mental health and my religious beliefs. It’s that I know that I may be stuck now, but God will always be around, and he will give me that sort of peace. 

Brother Donald: Yeah, that’s a good point, sister Kez. If I can jump in. Sister Hannah, I’m sorry, but, Yes, that is a very, very good point. Just recently in Canada, it was mentioned that when it comes to the government, they are going to allot 500 million CAD when it comes to tackling mental health for the youth, not for the adults, for the youth. And the reason is because it is a growing problem. We know in truth, it’s not just Canada, it’s worldwide. What do you say, people? It’s not just the, you know, the older generations per se, but even the youth, they are struggling when it comes to mental health. So we have a great advantage as members of the Church Of Christ because like you said, when it comes to, prayer, which in ways, you know, we’re communicating with our Lord God, we can ponder and consider our way of life in our situation, which is a kind of a form of meditation. And I wanted to clarify that, too, because some people may consider meditation. You’re going to sit in the lotus position and you’re going to hum a certain note. But that’s not the meditation when it comes to those members of the Church Of Christ, you know, more or less it’s just consulting with God. It is trying to find that quiet time and space that invariably many members of the church do.They enter the place of worship. And it’s like slowly but surely, all the pressures of the day kind of melts away. If it’s an early morning worship service, you know, they find that peace so that after the worship service they are ready to go out. You know, they’ve gotten that spiritual bravery and courage and say, you know what, I can face this day because God is with me.

So, yes, definitely. Again, we can see that correlation. And we can also see the importance of spiritual exercise. And that’s how we practice spiritual exercise through participating in all of these activities that is promulgated by the Church Administration when we participate, including when it comes to the worship service, we are practicing spiritual exercise, which, again, is connected when it comes to our physical well-being, when it comes to taking care of ourselves.

Hannah: Brother Donald, I agree with what you’ve mentioned, with today’s time and age, the problems with mental health, it’s so vast that it’s even affecting the youth of this world. And that just strikes something, you know, in my heart, because I recall when I was in my first job, I worked in a middle school, so those were students from ages 12 to, well, backtrack 11- 14, which is a crucial time in a child’s growth. You know, that’s a time where just in general, they’re understanding themselves more. They’re able to think more complex, even more complex with mental health. But yet there’s still so much more that, you know, they’re exploring. And if I can just, give a reminder, there was a time when we were all locked down in our homes in a pandemic, and those children in that age, I feel for them because, you know, they’re isolated.

They might not have anyone to talk to, they can’t see their friends physically or they’re resorting to solutions online. And it just goes on, there’s millions of solutions. And yet, here we are. We’re talking about what has been working for us because it is, you know, biblically, biblically based. And, of course, with the youth in our Church, it’s so important that we help guide them and help them understand that, you know, yes, it’s hard to go through these challenges. There are times when we’ll feel sad. We may feel lonely, but we have the greatest gift of all, which is praying anywhere, any time to God. 

Let me toss it to you, Kat. We did talk about prayer earlier, so feel free to touch upon that. How you incorporate that to your everyday life, you know, especially with you working, with your other duties in the Church. So how often do you think about taking care of your spiritual needs?

Kat: Oh, taking care of my spiritual side? About prayer. Like what we talked about a while ago, I have made devotional prayers to care for myself every day. That devotional prayer was always giving me peace because of every daily tasks. (There’s) always pressure that puts me in my every day life. Prayer relieves me because it’s really hard to live in these times, life’s very challenging.

Hannah: Right, and you mentioned devotional prayer. So, if I can ask you how often do you commit to your devotional prayer and during what time of the day? 

Kat: Oh, I pray every 10 p.m. every night. It (changes) when I have tasks at Church, but I stick to it. 

Hannah: You stick to it. No matter what. 

Kat: Yeah, I stick to it. 

Hannah: Now that is dedication right there. And, you know, I’ve also, you know, kept that same devotion too, you know, what I need to ask for with, you know, with really high needs such as, you know, a job or finding the solution that I need. But for you, Kat, and for most other members around the world, they set aside the time to pray. Because if you were to break it down, devotional prayer, to be devoted to something, you’re setting aside that time, focusing in that moment and in those moments is through prayer. So, of course, for any of you out there, if this is something that you seek or you want to incorporate, you know, consider, you know, setting an alarm clock, putting it in your calendar dates to devote that time. I know for me, like I always, always hear my alarm ringing like, oh, I need to set the time to pray, meditate, think of what I need to ask for.

Now, let me throw it back to you, Brother Donald. Now some questions that we’re thinking about after listening to that is, is there such a thing as too much self care or too much focus on self? And as Christians, what is the best form of self care for spirituality and self, Brother Donald? 

Brother Donald Pinnock: Well, let’s deal with that first question. Is there such a thing as too much self care or too much focus on oneself? Well, the answer, bluntly, is yes. If we become obsessed with just looking after our self and ignoring the attention or advice sought by others, that is a great mistake. In fact, it’s a great sin. It’s sad to say there are people that for them, life should be just about themselves and they’re ready to boast to others when it comes to their talents, their abilities, and whatever else. However, if we were to read Mark 12:30-31 we’ll just mention that our Lord Jesus Christ states there that the first commandment is to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind. But the second most important commandment of God, is to love our neighbor, as we love ourselves. I repeat: to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. So yes, we should take care of our health physically, emotionally, mentally. And again, when it comes to physical exercise, it can benefit virtually all aspects of ourselves. But what is most important? 

We read earlier again, we are going to read what is recorded here in I Timothy, the chapter is 4 and the verse is 8: So the Apostle Paul states the following:

Physical exercise has some value, but spiritual exercise is valuable in every way, because it promises life both for the present and for the future.

[I Timothy 4:8 Today’s English Version]

Brother Donald: So, please notice, the Bible is very clear when it teaches the importance of the value of physical exercise. It’s good for the here and now. It’s good and beneficial when it comes to the life that we now have. But spiritual exercise is valuable in every way. It promises life, both for the present. So please notice, that is why when it comes to us, members of the Church Of Christ, we practice spiritual exercise while looking after our physical exercise. And again physical exercise, we connect it with our emotional state of being even when it comes to our mental state of being. But spiritual exercise is beneficial not only for this life, it promises life both for the present and for the future. So, that’s why one should practice spiritual exercise because all the more it has a great benefit. And that is the greatest benefit actually, and that is eternal life. This is the reason why members of the Church Of Christ are always being encouraged to participate, because when one participates in the activities and events that are launched by the Church Administration, they are practicing spiritual exercise. So of course, our number one, obligation unto the Lord our God is to worship Him. And at the same time, we also worship our Lord Jesus Christ, because that is the commandment of God to worship His Son.

We help again, and it was mentioned earlier in the program, when it comes to social civic activities, helping when it comes to our community, food, clothing donation, emergency services appreciation, even the young children and I believe it was mentioned earlier, even the young children of the Church, they get into the act, for example by entertaining the elderly in nursing homes. And if you could read or hear about the response of the elderly there in their nursing homes, when young children are singing songs to them, it really brings tears to their eyes. These are many other activities or ways by which Church Of Christ members not only take care of their physical, mental, and emotional well-being, but most especially, and we say most especially because it is the most important, none other than our spiritual health.

Hannah: Thank you, Brother Donald, for once again providing us inspiration from the Bible on why it’s so important to take care of our spiritual health. If I can ask Nikki, how has staying in the Church being active in your duties, the activities, all the more focusing on taking care of your spiritual health, and spiritual-self, helped you?

Nikki: It’s helped me in, in a lot of different ways. But, I think the main thing is I never feel alone. Right. And I think that was touched upon earlier that sometimes or oftentimes, there may be moments where we feel lonely and we’re isolated and where we’re just really deep in our thoughts, right? But as a member of the Church, you know, even if we’re physically by ourselves, we’re always with God. Whatever we do, wherever we are, he is just a prayer away. And again, that just ties into (what) the whole spiritual self-care is, God is always with us. He will never abandon us, you know, especially as active members inside the Church. You know, if we do things for him, if we do things to please him, then all the more, that’s when he will provide us with more blessings. 

Hannah: Thank you, Nikki, for sharing and it just reminds me of where I was ten years ago. Me being a young adult for the first time at 18. And honestly, I’m so thankful that I’m still here. So back to you, Brother Donald. If I can ask, what does the Bible say on how one can get in touch with their spirituality?

Brother Donald: How to get in touch with one spirituality—again, I go back to what we mentioned at the beginning of our discussion that, you know, some may have a different understanding about spirituality, but for us members of the Church Of Christ, spirituality refers to when it comes to placing our hope, our trust in the living God, the true God, the one and only true God, as introduced by our Lord Jesus Christ and the apostles. So, how to get in touch with that true spirituality? Become a member of the true Church Of Christ. That’s why we always extend an invitation to our listeners. Learn more about the Church Of Christ, at a congregation nearest to your home, and slowly but surely, you’ll get to understand why the members of the Church Of Christ are so adamant. They are so confident when it comes to their faith and their proximity and relationship with the Almighty God. He permeates their life or our life. You know, he makes his presence known in our lives when it comes to his deliverance, when he comes to him hearing and answering our prayers in so many ways. There are so many minute miracles that God has manifested in the life of his people. And the reason why we need to uphold our spiritual life, our spiritual, you can mention, self-care, and the reason why we continue to serve the Almighty God is because we are looking for something that can’t be found here, in this life, in this world. 

And just to make things clear, let’s read first Thessalonians 5:23 and the following is stated,

“May the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 

[1 Thessalonians 5:23 New Revised Standard Version]

Brother Donald: Please notice this is the ultimate goal of members of the Church Of Christ, isn’t it brethren? For us to be able to greet the Lord Jesus Christ on his return, because those are able to do so, they will receive what is called salvation from the wrath of God, an appointed day, the day of judgement, and they will receive eternal life that is free of the maladies, the troubles, the pressures, the hardships that one cannot avoid when it comes to life in this world. That is why the Apostle Paul stresses, we should strive to remain sanctified or holy by keeping our spirit, our soul, and our body sound, meaning to say, healthy and blameless through righteous living. And that righteous living is based on obeying the commandments of God. That includes worshiping him, avoiding being involved when it comes to any activity that goes against his teachings or goes against his commandments. Again, the very reason why members of the Church Of Christ are being motivated to participate because the more we participate in these activities and events, the more we prove that we are living that holy or decent, that righteous way of life, and all the more, this will make us worthy on the second advent of our Lord Jesus Christ.

You know when it comes to our discussion at this time, beloved brethren, it only goes to show how fortunate we are to be members of this Church, because there is a feeling of contentment. I believe it was mentioned earlier. You know, there’s that feeling of contentment that even though we face those difficult times, it’s like God is insulating us from the true gravity of the situation. He’s there. So yes, we become members of the Church Of Christ. We are serving the Almighty God and His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. It doesn’t mean to say that we are not going to go through hardships. It doesn’t mean to say that we’re not going to be tested or tried, but because we continue to place our hope and trust in God, we prove it through our prayers, our obedience, our always worshiping him, the Lord our God, in turn, will bless us. And the greatest blessing that we are working towards. And that’s why we’re trying to look after ourselves spiritually, when it comes to self-care or physical care, the reason why we’re trying to look after ourselves is because of the greatest gift, and that is eternal life on the return of our Lord Jesus Christ in our true home.

Hannah: Thank you so much for the timely advice, Brother Donald, especially with words from God coming from the Bible and for everyone joining us here today, whether you or my fellow co-hosts or if you’re listening with us. Of course, this is an ongoing journey for each of us to attain our utmost spiritual level and to guide others on how to practice spiritual self-care daily. Now we’re coming to that part of our podcast where we must part ways, but of course, we want to leave some encouragement and love for our listeners out here. So, any parting words to say to everyone out there?

Kat: So I can say as a member and Church officer of the Church Of Christ even though life is challenging, spiritual care is there to help me out. I can certainly say that spiritual health is taking care of our own self with the guidance of our Lord God, with our relationship to Him. So to our listeners, I hope you were inspired on how spiritual care is discussed in our podcast today and I hope everyone will say that spiritual care is the best self-care that they can make in their everyday lives. 

Kez: Short, sharp and simple. I think put God first and everything will follow. That’s it. Like, even if you’re feeling down, just, pray and do what God wants you to do and everything will follow. Trust.

Nikki: Just a quick shout out to our listeners for, for always supporting our Heart and Soul podcast and shout out to, you know, my lovely co-hosts from all the different parts of the world. You know, thank you for this Heart and Soul conversation.

Hannah: And thanks again. Can’t thank you all enough for joining us. Now, if you want more content, there is so much more to explore, watch and listen to on INCMEDIA.ORG or on the INCMEDIA app, which you can find in app stores. You can also follow us on Instagram @heartandsoulconversations for future updates and inspiration. Or if you want to DM us and let us know how this episode helped you, we’d love to hear from you. And like I said, there is more in store. Hope you’re on the lookout. 

Thank you again for listening to the Heart And Soul podcast, brought to you by INC Media Audio, where we have honest conversations that nurture our souls. And whatever you’re going through today, remember that you’re not alone. And we hope today’s conversation brought you peace and closer to God. See you next time.