It’s easy to see the physical signs of being sick – coughing, sinus pressure, blowing your nose, stomach-aches, etc. There is thankfully quite a bit of research and awareness being shared about the signs of a lack of mental health. But the signs of Spiritual Health are much more difficult to diagnose.
I believe that one of the reasons for this difficulty is the lack of objectivity in what a “Christian life” should look like. Don’t get me wrong: there are plenty of things that the Bible spells out regarding what a Christ-follower should do and there are things that they are implored not to do. But when the rubber meets the road, Paul’s encouragement to the church in Philippi to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” gives the Christ-follower a much more open-world view (to steal a video game term).
Spiritual Health should be considered by all of us, regardless of your view of the reality of spiritual things. I tell people quite often: You don’t have to believe what I believe, but you should know WHY you believe what you believe. I don’t mind people disagreeing with me – I actually welcome those conversations. If you only associate with people who believe what you believe, your belief systems become weak, like a muscle that is never used. Your belief systems atrophy. But in the long run, I must consider the WHY in spiritual health.
The ingredients for Spiritual Health are the same ingredients for Physical Health; let’s compare the two.
-For Physical Health, a healthy diet is required. You must intake the correct amount and the best quality of foods. For Spiritual Health, your intake of spiritual nutrition is vitally important. Are you taking in too much “junk food” or are you even paying attention to what is fed into your spirit? Who is in charge of your inputs? Who controls what comes in?
-For Physical Health, a regular exercise routine is vital. Refusing to work out a set of muscles or limbs is the worst thing for your body; this is why being on bed rest is considered one of the worst things for an individual to face. For Spiritual Health, exercising your beliefs is also important. First of all, having a mentor knocks us out of lethargy and allows our self-deception and bind spots to be challenged. Then through that mentor’s guidance, we should read books that challenge us to think outside the box, while using discernment to not accept everything that theoretical sages spit out (see James 1).
-For Physical Health, our association is shown to be one of the most important parts. If we are constantly around people who show little concern for their physical bodies, then it will be very easy for us to make the wrong choices. It’s important to surround ourselves with the people who are practicing the right habits. This is the value of joining a gym or joining a group like Weight-Watchers. For Spiritual Health, this is the purpose of a local group of people whose belief system is concurrent with yours. Find a group of people who offer spiritual nutrition that can feed you and who provide opportunities for “faith exercise.” Plug in and never stop plugging in. You need other people and they need you.
Spiritual Health matters, period. You may not see the immediate effects of a spiritual life that has been ignored, but over time, it will become evident that something has gone into atrophy and it’s most likely your belief systems. Don’t kill yourself spiritually; live intentionally.
Just a thought…
