People in the non-profit business, ministry, or church live more sacrificial than most. They are people with a life principle of self-sacrifice that guides them. This is a beautiful thing. Like other things, when taken to an extreme, there is a flip side that is not pondered. After all, when we find someone who has given their life for something admirable, we honor them. The problem is that when you sacrifice yourself to an unhealthy point, you invite a set of unintended circumstances. Many very successful CEOs and entrepreneurs have created a lack of family life, which is unsustainable in many cases. They are successful in business and possibly other areas of life, but the unintended consequences. Likewise, people who live and work with a significant focus on an important mission can blur the line between self-sacrifice and self-care. Self-care is a tricky thing because it can become consuming. Before we know it, we live for ourselves. We live to be happy and fulfilled. There is nothing wrong with being happy and fulfilled, but I would propose the best way to attain those things is live for something beyond yourself. While some go overboard toward self-care, others care for themselves little or rarely. In Christianity, it is laudable to care nothing of yourself. However, that comes with terrible pitfalls that can lead to tired, sick, and frail people who cannot sacrifice like they used to because of their physical, mental and emotional limitations. Jesus used to disappear. He knew He needed some self-care. I am talking about getting away to pray, but a quick examination of Jesus' life illuminates a person who didn't need to go to the gym or eat better. He understood taking a Sabbath and rest. He walked everywhere He went. He gathered wood and cut it to build a fire to cook what He had picked, bought, or caught. There were no fast food stops, junk foods, or an abundance of sugar. He lived a life that was self-care and self-sacrifice. The question is, do we? So many people reject the idea of self-care for altruistic reasons until disease sets upon their body or they have some sort of breakdown because of the frenetic pace without regard to self-care that they have lived. Why not develop a plan of self-care that will carry you through your entire life that leads to health and strength. Then you can self-sacrifice repeatedly and remain strong and healthy in all ways.