A recent article in Vox detailed the rise and consequences of the “self-care” movement. What started as calls for rest, or maybe a binge of mind-numbing television or a bath, became an anthem for isolation and self-obsession. Self-care companies have sold all kinds of cures for our stress and mental health problems: candles, lotions, journals, and routines. Each one encourages us to focus on ourselves.  

And yet, what are the fruits of this movement? We’ve never been more lonely and depressed. According to one 2013 study, our materialism and our loneliness are locked in a vicious cycle. 

Of course, rest and reflection are essentials spoken of in Scripture, but the Bible always orients our attention upward, to our Maker, and outward, to our relationships with others. The focus is not inward. When our focus is only inward, self-care quickly devolves into self-obsession and ultimately, a greater sense of emptiness.