The Whole Life by Eliza Huie and Esther Smith

Self-care. You might think it's a fad but the authors argue it's a biblical principle. It is not something selfish but rather part of God's design for us to love Him, others and ourselves in the best way. Huie and Smith define self-care as “drawing on divinely given resources to steward our whole lives for personal enrichment, the good of others, and the glory of God.” (240/2848)

The authors write from experience. Huie was the kind of person who hit the day running. But there came a point where that pace affected her health. God taught her valuable lessons through that experience, many of which she shares in this book. Smith was diagnosed with lupus about a decade ago and had to slow down her life, concentrating on self-care.

Huie and Smith cover six areas of life: spiritual life, physical life, purposeful approach to life, community life, work life, and the life of rest. Each of the 52 meditations contains insightful information and includes suggestions for action, application, and guided journaling. I appreciate insights into our thinking, stress, burnout, play, goals, pace of life, screen habits, community, friendships, boundaries, rest, solitude, and more.

Perhaps the most impacting meditation for me was on purposeful living. The authors remind us how we start our day impacts the rest of it. They suggest we orient our hearts to Jesus from the moment we open our eyes. (1092/2848) Recognize we need His help with our first waking breath. Realize He is there to help us and guide us in all we do that day. Living in total dependence upon Jesus is the best self-care we could exercise.

This is a good book for Christians who want to take a serious look at their lives and consider the pace, the impact, the space given to Jesus, to others and to yourself. You'll find many thought provoking insights to help you best live the life God designed for you. The authors suggest going through this book each year. It's a good idea.

Watch the book trailer here.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

Eliza Huie holds a M.A. In Counseling and has advanced certificates in biblical counseling from The Christian Counseling Educational Foundation and The Association of Biblical Counselors. She is also a licensed clinical professional counselor and has specialized training in trauma care. She is a contributing writer for the Biblical Counseling Coalition, The Journal of Biblical Counseling, and is the author of two previous books. She is the director of counseling at McLean Bible Church located in the Washington D.C. Metro area, and is the Dean of Biblical Counseling for Metro Baltimore Seminary in Maryland. She and her husband have three grown children. You can find out more at https://elizahuie.com/.

Esther Smith is a licensed and Christian counselor offering online counseling to people living in Maryland. She holds a certificate from The Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation and specializes in counseling adults and older teens who feel stuck in experiences of trauma, anxiety, and physical illness. She has a M.A. in Professional Counseling from Liberty University and EMDR Basic Training from EMDR Center of the Rockies. She and her husband live near Baltimore, MD. You can find out more at https://esthermariesmith.com/.

New Growth Press, 176 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

(My star ratings: 5-I love it, 4-I like it, 3-It's OK, 2-I don't like it, 1-I hate it.)