Lately I’ve been incorporating more fruits and vegetables into my diet, not as a means to lose weight but as an act of worship in the form of self care. At my grocery store, the floral department sits right on the other side of the produce department, so I must pass by it if I want to access the rest of the store. For the passed couple of weeks, I had found myself taking a walk through it only to talk myself out of actually buying anything.

Why do we do this? Why do we talk ourselves out of doing the things we deserve—whether it be making healthier choices, standing up for ourselves, or even just doing something as simple as buying ourselves flowers?

I’ve bought flowers for my mother countless times, not merely on special occasions but on days I just felt like saying “I love you.” When we buy flowers for someone, we are saying something. “You’re appreciated, loved, special; you deserve the pretty thing.”

Yesterday was a special day; it was the first day I had ever bought myself flowers. Sure I had bought myself plants before but never cut flowers, flowers that would soon wither away in a matter of weeks. I couldn’t justify spending money on myself for something that wouldn’t last. The truth is though, this is self care.

So why is this thing that is “self care” so important? And more importantly, how does it glorify God? Well, I would argue it’s important for the same reason that showing love to your children is important. It’s a gift that helps foster a sense of self worth. When we are taught our worth, we do not look for it in another person. Another point I would like to make is this: when we are kind to ourselves as we are to others, we are glorifying God. (Matthew 22:39) Further, when we care for our bodies, we are caring for the temple of the Lord. (1 Corinthians 6:19)

As someone who does the things they want to do without being put off by the idea of doing them alone—I am not going to be swept away by the first man that comes along and takes me on a date. No, I already take myself on dates regularly. I am not going to be overly flattered when a man tells me I’m beautiful, because God already calls me “beautiful one”. (Song of Solomon 2:10) Receiving flowers won’t make me feel any more special than I already felt before I got them because (now) I do the same thing for myself.

As I made my weekly stroll through the floral department yesterday, I set my eyes on the biggest and most beautiful display of roses I had ever seen. It was the only bunch there like it. I gave that gift to myself so that I too could be a gift. When we learn how to spark joy in our own lives, we can more easily ignite it in others. When we make the choice to treat ourselves the way we deserve to be treated, we are able to then give to others something pretty special—the best version of who we truly are.