What is spiritual health? Do you have a personal relationship with God? We will dive deeper into these questions this week from a Christian perspective. Inspired Wellness is my business/ministry that is inspired by God! My practice is faith based and would not exist if He had not brought me through my personal health challenges then later called me to this ministry to help others find remission like I have through the 9 pillars of health I founded that is a holistic approach to life and health.
What is Spiritual Health?
Spiritual health begins with a deep and personal relationship with God. He offers the invitation to anyone who asks and believes. See John 3:16
“For this is how God loved the world; He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”
He desires us to come to him and accept his free gift of relationship with him forever. He is a gentleman though. He does not force it upon us and he created us with free will to choose him – or not. Personally, I cannot imagine a life without him. It’s not all roses all the time but he uses our struggles and challenges to teach us new things and deepen our faith. We should learn to be thankful for hard times because they sharpen us and mold us to become more like him.
My pastor’s sermon this week was spot on for the message I am trying to convey. Pastor Dan Shields of Valley Real Life shared about being a fan of Jesus or a follower of Jesus. A fan is someone who knows a lot about Jesus and is excited to see what he does. A fan is an enthusiastic observer but a follower is someone who has a personal relationship with Jesus, talks to him regularly through prayer and worships God more and more while openly professing his name to others. The difference between a fan and a follower is commitment. A follower follows the narrow path. This is the less-traveled path with eternal rewards.
What are the Signs of a Follower?
On the outside, a fan and a follower look very much alike. We can tell the difference from the fruit. Galations 5:22-23 tells us the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. We can evaluate these things in ourselves. In fact, I have a wall sign in my bathroom that I read through my glass shower doors daily – listing the fruit of the spirit. These are things we cannot manufacture on our own but the Holy Spirit manifests through us if we live in harmony with him. These also can help us discern false intentions of others.
Five Characteristics of Spiritual Health
- A personal relationship with God and bearing fruit as discussed above.
- Prayer – daily communion with God, talking to him about even the smallest details of your life because he wants to hear it all! He already knows so why not. Also praise and worship him for who he is and expressing gratitude to him.
- Hope – Because he lives, we can face tomorrow. Those are words of an old hymn and so true. Despite circumstances, he is on the throne of my life. I have hope because he is in control, I am not.
- Purpose – We all have a unique purpose. This typically correlates with our strengths and God given gifts. Do you know what your purpose is? Ask God and step out in faith and explore until he gives you clarity. He can and will open doors and close doors too since he wants us to step out and figure it out.
- Peace – We have peace in him because we trust him. Even when our world is in chaos, he is in control and we can give him our burdens. He will direct our path. He also gives us peace that is beyond understanding. This deep peace is truly a gift of God.
The National Institute of Health conducted a study about spiritual health. The study found that spiritual health involves four key connections: a connection with God, with oneself, with other people, and with nature. Many participants felt that spiritual health is different from spirituality, but they agreed on several key points about what spiritual health means. They said it influences your physical, mental, and social well-being, is a central aspect of overall health, and can be seen in how people behave. There are different ways to approach spiritual health, including religious and existential perspectives, and it’s something that can be developed and strengthened. Most experts in the study emphasized that the connection with God is the most important aspect of spiritual health.
Conclusion
Spiritual health affects your overall health. Life and health can be challenging and beyond our control. This can cause great stress and anxiety. On the other hand, if we have a personal relationship with God and truly trust him with our life, we can give him our burdens then rest in faith knowing he is in control and has our best interest at heart. In return for giving him all our cares, he gives me back peace that surpasses all understanding! What a great deal is that!
“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:6-7
