Our spiritual health depends on how well we are nurturing our personal relationship
with God. Spiritual health is more crucial to our total well-being than our
physical or emotional health. True spirituality differs from an external religion
that consists of religious duties and going through the motions without a personal
relationship with God. God our Creator gives meaning and purpose to life. This
influences how we perceive wellness, illness and suffering. Augustine wrote,
“You have made us for yourself, O God, and our hearts are restless until
they find rest in You.”
How then can you attain spiritual health? The most important step is to accept
Jesus Christ as your savior and be born again. “For God so loved the world
that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not
perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world
to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”
John 3:16-17. Through Jesus, we have forgiveness of our sins, salvation and
eternal life with God. Trusting in God gives us His love and power which produces
the spiritual fruit that endures despite our circumstances or our physical and
emotional health.
Many scientific medical studies have shown that being spiritually healthy can impact our physical and emotional health with lower blood pressure, longer lives, improved surgical outcomes, shorter hospital stays, improved physical and mental health and a higher level of satisfaction in life. But the Bible doesn’t promise us perfect physical health, but it does promise that if we have a vital personal relationship with God, we can have an abundant life. Jesus says in John 10:10 “The thief does not come except to steal and to kill and to destroy. I have come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly.” We can have abundant, meaningful lives full of purpose, contentment, joy, hope and peace. What blessings God gives us!
To nurture our relationship with God and grow, we must get to know Him. Daily
prayer and meditation is essential as we talk with God and listen to Him. Reading
and studying Gods word, individually and with other believers, helps us to know
God. Memorizing Scripture is difficult but it is a discipline that will fill
us with God’s word. We must also internalize and apply what God has taught
us. Journaling can be very helpful.
Fellowship with other believers in worship and Sunday School is also essential.
Being in a small group where you can share and pray together and be loved, encouraged,
taught and corrected helps us in our spiritual growth. You can’t go it
alone. Giving to others and God of our time, talents and money are essential
for a well-rounded spiritual life. In serving God and others, we are able to
focus on something greater than ourselves that helps us keep our life and problems
in perspective. As we learn to trust in God more and more, and have a thankful
spirit, we can ask “what can I learn from this experience or circumstance?”
Now that’s healthier than complaining and ingratitude.
How can you evaluate your spiritual health? Writing down your spiritual history
can help you see where you have made progress and where you need to do some
work. Think of when faith became important to you, major milestones of spiritual
insights, renewal, changes in your inner life and outward behavior. Who has
influenced your faith?
Are you living out Luke 10:27? “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength and with all your mind and your neighbor as yourself.” Here are some questions you should honestly ask yourself: How regularly am I praying? Do I pray for others? How often do I read and study my Bible? Am I experiencing a deep inner peace? Am I attending worship and Sunday School? Am I sharing my faith with others? Am I living my life in such a way that others will be drawn to Christ? Do my thoughts and actions please God? Do I give my time and money to God and others? Do I have a thankful attitude? Do I forgive others and myself easily? How are my family relationships? How did you do with these questions? I know I have a lot of work to do. Don’t get discouraged, but remember that you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you. Philippians 4:13
Spiritual health is a life long pursuit and it can only come from God. Isaiah wrote “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.” Isaiah 26:3 Jesus said, ”Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you: not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 14:27 Paul wrote, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” II Timothy 1:7 God is our Creator, Counselor and Great Physician. He wants to have a personal relationship with each one of us and for us to know His love and power! Our physical health affects our life here on earth, but our spiritual health has eternal consequences.
Dr. Walt Larimore wrote in his book, 10 Essentials of Highly Healthy People (which I recommend), that “the most important element of wellness is knowing and pleasing our Creator. If we believe in and trust God, if we make an intimate relationship with Him a priority, if He controls and empowers our lives and we seek our purpose in His grand design, then we will experience wholeness at the deepest level of our being.”
Helpful Family Resourses: Family Life has a website that has a lot of great
information. You can sign up for emails regarding keeping marriage fresh, dating
ideas for your spouse, parenting tips of the week, financial information, etc.
Their website is www.familylife.com.
Another great website is Focus on the Family’s site www.family.org.
At www.focusonyourchild.com/learning Parents of children under 12 can sign up
for the Focus on Your Child program to receive age-customiqed advice in discipline,
education, relationships and more.