Self first!

I came across this story of footballer Clarke Carlisle whose attempted suicide went "horribly right". He thankfully survived but mat great cost to himself and his relationships. Here is what he says about his path to recovery : 

“I’ve come out knowing what I’ve done before is not good for me. And I feel very guilty and ashamed about the way I thought and acted previously. So I need to establish new boundaries in my relationships. And that is tough. It’s tough when you’ve been married to someone for eight years. It’s tough when you’ve been a son for 35 years, and a brother for 35 years....I need to maintain my wellness. Because if I don’t, anything else I do is going to turn to rubbish. It seems a little bit selfish but I have to focus on myself first. But it’s also altruistic because if I don’t focus on myself first I can’t be a dad, I can’t be a charity trustee or a chairman of this, because it will all go to pot.”

Carlisle is correct. Self first is very important. We can't help others unless we help ourselves are helped. To point others to grace we must be recipients of grace!