M Is for Mama: A Rebellion Against Mediocre Motherhood

by Abbie Halberstadt

Of the messages being trumpeted the loudest in our culture (and not just in the arena of motherhood), there are few more insistent than that of the alluring siren of self-care. She’s a marketing genius. And she has saturated practically every form of media from advertising to radio. I can’t walk into a coffee shop, turn on the TV, open a magazine, stand in line at the grocery store, or scroll through more than three social media posts without being inundated with suggestions like these: “You deserve a break.” “Girl, you need…” “Treat yo’ self.” “Whatever makes you happy.” “Prioritize me time.” “It’s never wrong if it makes you feel good.” “Self-care is soul care.” There are various problems (from a biblical perspective) with each of these statements. But that last one really trips me up. And not because I completely disagree with it either. Self-care can be soul care. But it matters very much how we define self-care. And I can tell you right now that almost none of the ways that the above sources categorize self-care will line up with Scripture, which makes it a no-go for me