Health and Well Being - Part 1

God is a triune being: the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Trinity created us in their image as triune beings with a body, soul and spirit (Genesis 1:26; 1 Thessalonians 5:23). Each entity contributes to who we are and influences our health and well-being. We experience life through our Body, we acknowledge life through our Soul, and we influence life through our Spirit.

The Body is our existence, the Soul is our expression, and the Spirit is the essence of our life. Without fully developing all three parts of our being, we are handicapped individuals. Unless we acknowledge and nurture each entity, we will never reach wholeness within ourselves, nor can we help to nurture others.

We care for our Body with proper rest, exercise, and nutrition.  We care for our Soul through safe relationships, mental stimulation and nurturing our emotional health. We care for our Spirit through Bible study, church attendance, prayer, fasting, Christian fellowship, service to God, and sharing our faith with others.

Events, which wound our soul, are only minor chapters of our life, and are definitely not the end of our story. Even if our past was good, the best is still yet to come (Jeremiah 29:11). God calls each one of us to sink our roots deeper into His river of the pure water of life, which is clear as crystal and proceeds from the throne of God and of the Lamb (Revelation 22:1).

Prayer:

Father God, we pray for those who are traversing the dark night of their soul. Bring them nurturing friends and family to support them through this most recent chapter in their life. We also pray that You will ease this time of transition for them and reassure them of You care for them as You shower them with Your love and blessings on their road to the fulfilled Christian life.

Thought for the Day:

God's refreshment sustains us in every trial, and we know that He will work out all things for your good. - Romans 8:28; Jeremiah 29:11

New Strides in Life

 

American youth grow up under the assumption that we can achieve the American dream. We go to college and we obtain job experience to guarantee our future success. However, life often careens out of our control. We pull our self up by our bootstraps and try all over again, shaking off the depression and hopelessness nipping at our heels.

Time after time, life sends us debilitating storms. We end up treading water, feeling like we will drown. There comes a time in everyone's life that we eventually admit that we are ultimately powerless to overcome the negative aspects of our life. Some people give up, and end up with physical and mental illnesses; some turn to addictions; and some realize that we need a savior outside of our self (Romans 7:18).

First, we attempt to trust in a person to bail us out. We get into codependent relationships that seem to stifle us in the end. In order to reinstate our sanity, we eventually realize that we must come to believe in a higher power. Some people try Eastern religions, positive thinking or something that epitomizes wholeness to them. This lasts for a little while, but often fizzles out, because our spirit is still dead in sin.

Everyone ever born has an innate knowledge of God within their soul, and they are yearning for their spirit to be reborn (John 3:1-21). Once we come to Christ as our Higher Power, He helps us to clear our conscience of the dead works of unforgiveness, anger, resentment, bitterness, etc. He is greater than anything this world has to offer (Philippians 2:13).

He also reminds us of people to whom we need to ask forgiveness, and He helps us to make amends for the harm we perpetrated on their life (Lamentations 3:40; Luke 6:31; Matthew 5:23-24). We can obtain Christian counseling or find an accountability partner to continually hold us responsible to walk in God's Truth (James 5:16; 1 Corinthians 10:12).

As we humble our self before the Lord, He replaces our moral deficiencies with the fruit of His Spirit (James 4:10; Galatians 5:22-23). We come to know Him intimately, and He progressively exchanges our carnal nature for His divine nature (2 Peter 1:4). God assures us of His love, which transcends our human understanding. Filling us with His Spirit He slowly and deliberately floods our entire being with Himself (Ephesians 3:19).

Prayer:

Father God, remind us that no one is perfect, and we can forgive those who harmed us and ask forgiveness from those whom we have harmed. As we pray and read Your Word, draw us closer to You, tell us Your Will for each moment of our life, and give us the power to carry it out (Philippians 2:12-13; Colossians 3:16). Thank You for totally forgiving us for our transgressions of Your law and for sanctifying us daily as we walk toward Your perfection (1 John 1:9; Matthew 5:48).

Thought for the Day:

Nothing but living in service to Jesus Christ can fill the void that continually haunts our life. - Romans 12:1

Dichotomy or Trichotomy?

Read: I Thessalonians 5:23


“And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." Gen 2:7

There is a distinct difference between the topics of the Dichotomy of man, which limits man to a body and a soul; and a Trichotomy of man, which states that man possesses a body, soul and spirit. There are Bible verses, which imply that the soul and spirit are the same entity (Matthew 10:28; Luke 1: 46-47; Acts 2:31; 1 Corinthians 5:3; 6:20; 7:34; 2 Peter 2:11). Then other verses distinguish between the soul and spirit (Proverbs 25:25; Luke 1: 46-47; Romans 8:16; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; Hebrews 4:12; 3 John 2). This is another one of those mysteries of the faith, such as the Trinity, which represents three persons in one God.

I believe that God made man as a Trichotomy...Spirit, Soul, and Body. Created in the image of God, we are a trinity also, just as He is the Father, Son and Spirit. We have a spiritual nature that is separate and distinct from the body, in which it dwells; and from the soul through which it thinks, feels and decides upon an action. We experience life through our Body, we acknowledge life through our Soul, and we influence life through our Spirit. God formed man of the dust (body), and breathed into him the breath of life (spirit); and man became a living soul (soul) (Genesis 2:7). This is His original plan for mankind.

When Adam and Eve sinned, they brought death into the world. Every baby is born with a body and soul, but their spirit is dead because of this original sin. Their spirit remains dead until they come to Christ and their spirit is Born Again. The spirit of the unsaved person is dead in trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1; Colossians 2:13). They do, however, have a body and also a soul. The soul contains our mind, will and emotions.

There is another reason that I believe in the Trichotomy of man. In Luke, Jesus tells a story about two men who lived at the same time. One was a very rich man. The other was a beggar named Lazarus, who ate crumbs from the rich man’s table. The beggar ended up in Heaven and the rich man saw him there from hell. He asks Abraham to allow Lazarus to minister to his physical needs (Luke 16: 23-24). Since the rich man’s body is still in the grave, how could he see, hear, feel and identify these torments?

Simply put, the rich man’s soul is experiencing everything the body would experience. In the resurrection, the rich man’s immortal body will join his soul in hell, and he will experience double torments for eternity. This is one reason Jesus gave the church the imperative to win souls; in order to keep people from experiencing this intense anguish in hell forever.

We care for our Body with proper rest, exercise, and nutrition. We care for our Soul through developing our mind, submitting our will to God’s will, and by meeting our emotional needs through our interactions with people, pets and some physical aspects of life. We care for our Spirit through Bible study, church attendance, prayer, fasting, Christian fellowship, service, and sharing our faith with others.

What we do with our body affects what we think and feel in our soul, and how we receive God’s direction through our spirit. What we allow ourselves to focus on, or to act upon, affects us in our body, soul and spirit. Without fully developing all three parts of our being, we live as handicapped individuals. Unless we acknowledge and nurture each entity, we will never reach wholeness within ourselves or be able to completely nurture others in our life.

Our spirit is instantly Born Again through Justification. Our soul is transformed through the life long Sanctification process. Eventually, our body will be instantly immortal, when we see Jesus and go through Glorification. The Body is our existence, the Soul is our expression, and the Spirit is the essence of our life.

Prayer:

Lord, help us to use our body, soul and spirit to make a difference for You in our world. Help those of us who are not in touch with their emotions, who do not care about developing their mind, or who are not Born Again in their spirit to spend time meditating on these aspects of our humanity and allowing You to transform each part of them. Help us to take Your Word seriously and to realize that You intend for us to be witnesses for You to everyone we meet.

Thought for the Day:

For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires (Hebrews 4:12).

Metabolizing Faith

Read: John 4: 34-38

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Phil 4:6-7 NKJV

When I hit my forty-fifth birthday, I quit! I quit striving, contriving and controlling my life, and just let go and let God. I finally realized that I am a person too with valid needs and desires that God wanted to supply. Jesus knew what it meant to do the will of our Father without contrivance or stress. He simply walked peacefully in the way, which His Father revealed to Him. I learned from His example.

When I started to trust God on a minute-by-minute basis, my budding faith started to affect my physical, emotional and spiritual health. I felt better physically because I avoided illnesses brought on by negative emotions such as stress, fear and anger. I felt better emotionally because I had a more positive focus on events in my life and the people who caused the turmoil. I felt better spiritually, because I completely trusted God with my insecure future.

Little pinpoints of light broke through the darkness. I started living in peace that transcends all human reasoning, in spite of the fact that my whole world got turned upside down. Each day, exhibiting joy and a positive outlook on life became easier and more habitual. I started living in the moment, rather than fearing the future or feeling resentment over the past. The rays of light eventually formed a pattern that made it easier for me to see what God really wanted to do in my life. I learned to relish each blessing as God brings it my way.

Even if Satan tries to rob me of my faith, by disguising the blessings in negative circumstances, I continue to trust God and to wait on His perfect timing, actively looking for the miracle in each trial. This faith energizes me mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually and helps me to accomplish so much more for the kingdom of God.

Prayer:
Lord, help me to continue to look for the miracle in each event in my life. Even the most horrifying circumstances hold the seed of faith for something new that You are doing in my life. As I sit daily in Your presence, continue to increase my faith and make me an instrument to spread Your peace to everyone I meet.

Thought For The Day:

Faith is immensely impractical, but completely crucial as it reveals to us the impossible as tangible.