Many of us live at a pace that is impossible to keep. Unrelenting busyness might feel necessary, but it can lead to chronic stress and burnout that hinders our love for God and others. Instead of adding more to our long to-do list, counselors Eliza Huie and Esther Smith guide readers in how to think biblically about their whole life. They give Christians a framework for biblical self-care that will help them live for Christ by stewarding the spiritual, emotional, relational, and physical aspects of life.
The Whole Life: 52 Weeks of Biblical Self-Care outlines a balanced life of stewardship, offering practical strategies for Christians to grow in honoring God and caring for others. The authors focus on six key areas: faith, health, purpose, community, work, and rest. Each chapter addresses a specific topic and guides readers in thinking biblically about their whole life.
Breaking down the misconceptions that self-care is not biblical, The Whole Life reveals that caring for yourself doesn't mean you are being selfish or lazy. Instead, it's a way of stewarding every part of your life for God's glory and the good of others. Contrary to what our culture might lead us to believe, exhaustion and burnout are not unavoidable pitfalls of a faithful Christian life. Instead, they are warning signs that we need to turn to God for daily help. This book will reorient readers to the core value of resting their heart, mind, and strength in Christ.
"What happens when you put two godly wise women together to develop a yearlong plan created to help believers flourish? You get The Whole Life: 52 Weeks of Biblical Self-Care. Don't be put off by the phrase self-care this is no shallow psychobabble. Rather, it's filled with the gospel and deep wisdom learned through years of counseling. What a blessing!"
Elyse Fitzpatrick, Author of Worthy: Celebrating the Value of Women
"The Whole Life should be required reading for all seminary students. Self-care has the potential to make or break a leader's long-term influence, though it is rarely addressed in formal training programs. Rooted in the life-giving gospel of God's grace for sinners, the tools provided here will set you up for a lifetime of thriving in ministry."
Dan Passerelli, President, Metro Baltimore Seminary
"In a world full of need, it's easy to hear Jesus's call to self-sacrifice more loudly than his call to rest. How important, then, to consciously assess whether our lifestyle is truly in line with God's good design. In fifty-two bite-sized yet rich reflections, The Whole Life encourages us toward a pattern that is scriptural and sustainable. This is Christ-centered wisdom for the weary and respite from a relentless life."
Helen Thorne, Director of Training and Resources, Biblical Counselling UK
"I have to confess that when I saw that this book was about self-care, I was a bit skeptical because my greater concern in counseling tends to be that people care too much about themselves and not enough about God and others. But as I read the book I appreciated that the authors made a biblical case that there are ways in which we need to take care of ourselves if we are going to be able to love God and others well. As my hero Charles Spurgeon said regarding self-care of pastors, 'We are in a certain sense our own tools, and therefore must keep ourselves in order.'"
Jim Newheiser, Director of the Christian Counseling Program and Associate Professor of Pastoral Theology, Reformed Theological Seminary, Charlotte; executive director IBCD (The Institute for Biblical Counseling and Discipleship)
"If our current situation has taught us anything, surely it is that we are frail and fragile beings dependent on our Savior. It is into this reality that Eliza Huie and Esther Smith have blessed us with a much-needed work on biblical self-care that focuses our gaze and attention on both body and soul as God created us. Readers will be encouraged with the practicality of their work and the rich theological depth that it is grounded in. Treasure this resource, read and chew on the contents slowly, and be strengthened for faithful ministry for the coming season."
Jonathan D. Holmes, Executive Director, Fieldstone Counseling; pastor of counseling, Parkside Church; board member for the Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation (CCEF)
"We could all use some help in our devotions. What sets this book apart is its holistic approach to the care of one's own soul. While underscoring God's supremacy in our lives, we are also encouraged in this weekly format to consider the emotional, relational, and embodied aspects of our lives that are often overlooked. This book would also make a great resource for counselees!"
Eric L. Johnson, Professor of Christian Psychology, Gideon Institute of Christian Psychology & Counseling, Houston Baptist University
"Those who devote their lives to the care of others often fail to properly care for themselves. In their timely and needed book, Eliza and Esther offer Scripture-saturated, practical wisdom for self-care. They carefully recast our understanding of self-care as a biblically-rooted habit and offer guidance on how to make self-care a life-giving practice. This book contains fifty-two weeks of soul-feeding content and is a gift to the care of God's children!"
Andrew Dealy, Director of Soul Care and Executive Director, The Austin Stone Counseling Center, The Austin Stone Community Church
"When we hear about self-care, our first reaction is often to ask, 'Should we really care for ourselves? Shouldn't our focus be exclusively on sacrificial care for others?' I appreciate Eliza Huie and Esther Smith's biblically-based definition of self-care: 'the practice of drawing on divinely-given resources to steward our whole lives for personal enrichment, the good of others, and the glory of God.' In The Whole Life, they comprehensively and compassionately help readers to steward their lives so that they can live a lifetime of ministry to others to the glory of God."
Bob Kellemen, Academic Dean, Dean of Students, and Professor of Biblical Counseling, Faith Bible Seminary, Lafayette, Indiana
"If you are traveling on a plane, you are well aware of the instructions before takeoff: place the oxygen mask on your face before you help your child. That seems so counterintuitive, but the point is this; if you don't get oxygen first, you won't be able to help another person! That is what this book is about. It is about stewarding your body and soul so that you can be most useful to others. Stewardship is a word in Scripture that often is only associated with money. But the fact is, stewardship is about everything God has given us, including our body and soul. Eliza and Esther wisely call us to pay attention to ways we must steward these gifts."
Timothy S. Lane, President, Institute for Pastoral Care and Tim Lane & Associates; author of Unstuck: A Nine-Step Journey to Change that Lasts; coauthor of Relationships: A Mess Worth Making and How People Change
"The Whole Life provides a grace-filled and compelling vision for Christian self-care. All of us who struggle to live as holistic disciples should take this fifty-two-week journey toward caring for our bodies and souls in a gospel-saturated way. The exercises are simple and thought-provoking, and every week serves as a reminder of the beauty of honoring and enjoying God in every area of life."
Beth M. Broom, LPC Supervisor and Care Minister, The Village Church Denton
"This book is thoughtfully written, practically presented, theologically-rich, hope-filled, and robustly relevant. As a pastor, professor, counselor and business owner, my heart resonated with all of it. The weekly format drew me in and kept me focused on first things being first, while creating such an engaging format for my already busy yet productive life. I'd highly recommend pastors, professors, ministry leaders, business owners, and volunteers to read it."
Dwayne R. Bond, Lead Pastor, Wellspring Church; owner of Proximus Group, LLC
"Practical, biblical, and insightful, The Whole Life is a needed reminder for those of us who struggle with self-care that the Lord calls us to steward our lives with intentionality, wisdom, and a sensitivity to the Spirit's leading. The questions and exercises in each chapter shed necessary light on areas I've long neglected and encouraged me to care for my body, mind, and soul both to glorify God and to better serve others. If you feel overworked, stressed, and can't figure out what to do about it, this book is for you!"
Vaneetha Rendall Risner, Author of Walking Through Fire: A Memoir of Loss and Redemption
"When you think of self-care, do you immediately feel guilty for even thinking about it? The Whole Life not only shows the necessity of self-care, but also the utter biblical grounding for this idea of stewarding all of your life as a gift from God to be used in service to love others. Esther and Eliza do a remarkable job in giving you a place to practice self-care in a biblically healthy way. I would recommend this to every counselor, pastor, and people-helper."
Cache Barnes, Executive Director, Redemption: Twin Cities
"The term self-care has certainly become an elusive buzzword in today's society. It's something I prescribe for others while often failing to consistently engage in myself. In The Whole Life, Eliza and Esther journey with you for a year and provide weekly, practical steps to implement this practice. They use a biblical approach to remind you that caring for the spirit, soul, and body is not selfish, but simply stewardship."
Renee Davis, Clinical Psychologist
"God has entrusted us all to be good stewards of our bodies, emotions, and relationships. In The Whole Life, Eliza Huie and Esther Smith lay out a foundation for the kind of biblical self-care that is necessary to fuel a life lived wholly for the glory of God. I invite everyone experiencing exhaustion or burnout to pick up this book and put its contents into practice!"
Walter Shaw, Blogger at WTSreads
"The need for self-care may be greater than ever today and this book is a critical resource that I hope many will read. Eliza Huie and Esther Smith wisely lead the reader in a refreshing, gospel-centered, practical approach to caring for our own souls. You will be blessed, challenged, and refreshed as you spend the year with this book. Your soul and your community will be better for it!"
Jason Kovacs, Executive Director, Gospel Care Collective
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I desperately needed self care strategies that did not involve "treat yo' self" or a Maui vacation. Gospel-centered, imminently practical, and challenging, EVERYONE should read this.
I believe this book is the most helpful and balanced on the topic of self-care that I've read so far. It felt very practical, and it wasn't just full of "memorize this scripture" or "pray this" to fulfill each area. The applications had really good, quality depth that gave lasting thoughts and ways to practice the topics. I think it would be especially good to read this with another person or even as a weekly small group. It's great individually, but I think the discussions and encouragement that could be had with others could make this even more life-changing for many people.
My church chose this book for our Sister ministry and I was blessed to be one of the teachers. I presented 7 leading out of 52. We will complete the study in Dec 2024. This book taught ways we as women must make our self-care a priority! GREAT PURCHASE
This was my second time starting this book, and I’m glad that I picked it back up again. By nature, I’m a rule follower, but reading one chapter a week didn’t flow well for me. This time through, I read a chapter each day as my morning devotion. This was the best way for me, and I really enjoyed it! I found the writing style kind, considerate and relatable!
I’m 3 weeks in and it’s been so lovely. A great reset to relearning what it means to rest in Jesus. It’s encouraged me to get back in the Word every day.
This is a simple devotional book, but important reading for all who desire to navigate life well, and safely arrive at their desired end. Written in 52 brief units, each one intended to be read and applied during one week of the year, the content is nourishing, instructive, practical and enjoyable. The authors present a wide spectrum of essential skills for living a life unto God (which is what we are made for). The central theme is 'self-care' but not the self-absorbed lavishness most associated with that label. The idea of this book is rooted in taking care of yourself so you can take care of others... in whatever various ways you do that vital work. We tend to focus on helping, working, sustaining: our companies, families, organizations, and relationships way more than taking care of ourselves, so we can better care for those who rely on us. Unchecked drivenness takes a toll on human bodies and souls. Most of us need help but won't admit it...chiefly to ourselves. We are perpetually tired, often unfulfilled, easily frustrated, but may not recognize or consider why we are. So we trudge on, working harder and harder with the hope that someday that work will pay off, then we can rest. That achievement rarely happens. When it does, the collateral damage to one's self and those they love has taken a greater toll than they realized. We find ourselves asking, how did this happen, how did I wind up here? This is not the life God intends for you. The thoughtful self-care presented in this book seeks to head off the dangers of such living and offers the reader course corrections that will help avoid many life-draining practices. The lessons are short, oriented around biblical texts and contain actionable assignments. The topics are thought provoking, encouraging, corrective and humbly presented. This book will be good for your soul and those you serve. It is an excellent resource for self-study, book club, Bible-study group, or counseling. I highly recommend it.
Regardless of your faith background or no faith at all - The Authors are shining light on a dark and sad aspect of our culture - we have all bought into the need for more and "better" for ourselves and children. The more and better we seek have put us on a treadmill that runs longer and faster every day. Read the book and step off to reconsider life and your priorities. You wont regret it!
What a balm this book has been to my soul and a refreshing, biblical perspective on truly resting in Christ and caring for ourselves. A must read for those feeling weary and worn-out!
Biblical counsellors Huie and Smith have combined their skills to create this wise and winsome book that considers what biblical self-care looks like, and ways to approach it. They say that self care is “the practice of drawing on divinely given resources to steward our whole lives for personal enrichment, the good of others, and the glory of God… We practice self-care because it’s a biblical concept. We embrace self-care as a way to steward our souls, minds, bodies, and relationships. This whole-life stewardship is an act of obedience to God’s call to love others as we love ourselves.” (Week 1) The 52 weeks are divided into 6 sub-sections: spiritual life, physical life, a purposeful life, community life, work life and a restful life. Each week brings focuses on a specific area, allowing the reader to pause, reflect, consider God’s word, and respond in prayer and thoughtfulness. This includes a gospel spotlight, and a chance for application through consideration of questions covering four areas (spiritual, emotional, physical, and relational), and finishes with a a guided journalling suggestion. As such, taking a week for each topic doesn’t appear to be too slow. This is a wise, balanced, and helpful guide to biblical self-care. It’s quite short, and each week covers only 2-3 pages. However, the real benefit would be taking the time to work through each week in detail and prayerfully. Highly recommended for all Christians who long to serve the Lord sacrificially and faithfully, yet also with wisdom and awareness of our human limitations.
This book is written with the reader in mind. Easy to read weekly chapters keep life change from becoming too overwhelming and break it down into manageable pieces. This book is practical and biblical and offers a great perspective on self care. Highly recommend.
