Holy Health & Living Well

Fifty2 Sunday's ~ Listening 4 God

        My ears pricked up when I heard the sermon title "Holy Health"; I was anticipating a description of what constitutes such a state of well-being as well as possible risk factors to be aware of and poor habits to avoid.  Instead, the focus was more along the lines of what we can do to take care of our physical body.  Granted, the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit (I Corinthians 6:19) and it is important, but I had a different sermon in mind than the one I heard.  Still, the subject is a good one, deserving of additional exploration. 

        It is my contention, that there are three relationships central to our experiencing holy health; God, oneself and others; and when these are in balance; wellbeing is possible.  This squares with what is inherent in the first and second commandments: 

 "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. ‘  The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  There is no commandment greater than these." 

Mark 12:30 & 31

        In desiring to live holy well - we must commit (and recommit when we fall or fail) to strive with our whole being (heart, soul (spirit), mind and strength (physicality) to achieve a balance.  To focus on one area to the neglect or exclusion of another does not allow us to experience complete well-being and it somehow contradicts our testimony. 

Regarding ourselves:

• "Guard your heart for it is the wellspring of life"...(Proverbs 4:23)
• "Set your mind on things above"...  (Colossians 3:2)
• Keep "your whole spirit, soul and body...blameless"...  (I Thessalonians 5:23)

Regarding others:

• "Honor your father and mother”— which is the first commandment with a promise “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth” (Ephesians 6:2 & 3).   
• "Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure," (Hebrews 13:4a).
• "Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord" (Ephesians 6:4)...
• "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right," (Ephesians 6:1).
• "Do not repay anyone evil for evil.  Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone.  If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone" (Romans 12:17 & 18).

      Anyone who has tried to love God, their fellow man or themselves rightly knows there are internal and external struggles and conflicts that challenge our highest resolve.  (A description of some of these can be found in Romans 7:14-25 & Galatians 5:13-26).  When we fail or fall, we should remember that God is for us (Romans 8:31) and he desires that we succeed at holy health and living well.