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Why you Shouldn’t Neglect your Spiritual Health

What is Spirituality

Oxford Languages defines spirituality as: the quality of being concerned with the human spirit or soul as opposed to material or physical things. 

This means spirituality encompasses your whole being, what makes you YOU. When your spiritual health is in decline, then you are in decline. 

What is Spiritual Health

So what exactly is spiritual health? Spiritual health is the health of your soul, your spirit. Spiritual health is in a sense akin to your physical or mental health. When you have a broken arm, your physical health is afflicted. When you are feeling depressed or anxious, your mental health is unwell. When you are questioning your purpose in life, this could be a sign that your spiritual health is suffering. 

Why you Need to Sustain your Spiritual Health

Your mental health and your physical health can affect each other. When one is present, the other may not be trailing too far behind. Your spiritual health affects both your mental and physical health. When your spiritual health is unstable, you pose a greater risk of physical and mental impairment. 

Similar to your physical and mental health, your spiritual health will fluctuate throughout your life. This is why it is vital to tend to it and nourish it often. The more you feed your spiritual health, the less trials will bring you down. When your spiritual health is elevated, you’ll be able to bounce back from damaging circumstances less damaged, spared some of the injuries that could have been, giving you access to take notice of the silver lining. 

When you experience sound spiritual health, not only are you creating a safeguard for your mental and physical health, you are weaving a balance between the three, allowing your being to become whole. You will experience greater satisfaction in your life. You’ll be able to discover the meaning in your life, better equipped to live out the purpose God has for you. As you develop spiritually, you begin to develop a deeper relationship with God, as well as experience deeper connections with those around you. And as your relationship with God increases, peace will start to increase, allowing you to manage stress better, and create a life of gratitude. 

How to Maintain your Spiritual Health

• Pray
• Spend time in nature
• Keep a gratitude journal
• Meditate on God’s word
• Go for a walk
• Do some yoga
• Practice deep breathing exercises
• Forgive and let go of the past
• Reflect on your life
• Truly listen to others

Scriptures about Spiritual Health

A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. -Proverbs 17:22

Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. -Proverbs 16:2

And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.   -Ezekiel 18:4

Addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, -Acts 20:7 

Quotes about Spirituality and Spiritual Health

“We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.” – Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

"At any moment, you have a choice, that either leads you closer to your spirit or further away from it.” – Thich Nhat Hanh

“Spirituality is not about being fixed; it is about God being present in the mess of our unfixedness.” – Michael Yaconelli

“Learn to get in touch with the silence within yourself and know that everything in this life has a purpose. There are no mistakes, no coincidences. All events are blessings given to us to learn from.” – Elizabeth Kübler-Ross

“When you connect to the silence within you, that is when you can make sense of the disturbance going on around you.” – Stephen Richards

“But no matter how much evil I see, I think it’s important for everyone to understand that there is much more light than darkness.” – Robert Uttaro

“Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn, or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude.” – Denis Waitley

“When we are spiritually healthy, we realize that we exist beyond the physical and our life has a sense of meaning and purpose.” – Robyn L. Gobin

“God's ultimate goal for your life on Earth is not comfort but character development. He wants you to grow up spiritually and become like Christ. Christlikeness is all about transforming your character, not your personality.” – Rick Warren

“God will test you because he wants you to grow up. He wants you to mature. He wants you to develop a walk with him that is not based on your fluctuating emotions but on your commitment to him as you learn to walk by faith.” – Greg Laurie

“And above all, remember that the meaning of life is to build a life as if it were a work of art.” – Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel

“Anybody can thank God for good things. But when you can thank God even in the bad things, your faith grows and your spiritual roots go deeper.” – Rick Warren

Remember…

Spiritual health is fluid, at times it will waver. However, when you are steadfast in your spiritual journey, you’ll become better able to overcome the periods of low. When your level of spiritual health is high, your actions and words begin to align with God’s values, thereby revealing the purpose that God has for you in this life. It isn’t always an easy task, but you have the Lord by your side to carry you when you stumble. 

- Torrance Church of Christ

The Value of Serving (and some ways you can serve another today!)

We've Been Called to Serve

What is service?

Oxford Languages defines service as:  The action of helping or doing work for someone.

It may be safe to assume that we all have an idea of what service is, however, our personal definitions might contain slight variations. One person may think of service as holding the door open for a stranger, whereas someone else may think of it as donating clothing to a homeless shelter. Another person may see service solely as a paid job, for example, a waiter is serving you your food because they are required to. These are all examples of service, and each one is not more dominant than the other. 

Why should we serve others?

When we serve others, we are following in Christ’s footsteps. Christ spent his mortal life in the service of others and we can see this throughout the Bible. When we serve others, we are building ourselves a solid foundation overflowing with blessings, personal growth, enlightenment, happiness, and inspiration. When you serve another, you are adding value to not only the person you are serving but also yourself. You have the opportunity to positively impact someone’s life. This can inspire whomever you serve to pay it forward, which can create a snowball effect of acts of kindness and good deeds. By your simple action, you can create a shift that has the potential to create a constructive and beneficial difference for humankind. 

How do we find time to serve?

With the hustle and bustle attitude of our modern times, it's easy to feel overwhelmed by all of our commitments and obligations. Between all of society’s expectations, our expectations from our family, and responsibilities at work, it's no wonder so many of us sometimes feel swallowed up. We can become so encompassed with the tasks of our day-to-day lives, that when we do get a break, we want to spend that break resting, catching up on reading, or enjoying a hobby. “I’m just too tired”, is the universal excuse to why we aren’t doing more. We use this excuse in numerous areas of our lives. However, when we use this excuse specifically as to why we cannot serve another, we are overlooking the expectation of the Almighty. He has commanded us to serve. We should learn to prioritize our time to include acts of service. 

Thankfully there is a myriad of approaches you can take to help another person. Many of these methods don’t need to take a lot of time. Because of this, some deeds can easily be implemented into your daily life. 

A Fistful of Service Ideas

• Walk your neighbor's dog
• Greet others with a nod of acknowledgment
• Listen. Listen with the intent to listen. 
• Clean up any litter you come across
• Do a chore for someone in your household that you normally wouldn’t do
• Hold open the door for someone
• Give sincere compliments
• Smile
• Donate books
• Respond to someone rude with kindness and understanding
• Show your support for someone, even if you don’t agree with whatever they need support with
• Pray for others
• Offer up your seat to someone who needs it more
• Keep your promises
• Write and send someone an uplifting note
• Call an old friend
• Pay off someone's overdrawn school lunch account
• Donate canned goods
• Participate in a community clean up
• Volunteer at a food pantry
• Purchase classroom supplies for a teacher
• Plant a tree
• Cook a meal for someone
• Help an elderly person carry their groceries to their car
• Donate blood
• Donate used clothing
• Pay for someone's gas
• If you notice your neighbor’s trash can isn’t at the curb on trash day, bring it out for them
• Are you walking or driving your kids to school? Maybe you can help a friend out by taking their child too
• Donate make-up and feminine hygiene products to a women's shelter
• Babysit for someone in need
• Set up a small monthly donation to your favorite charity
• Mow someone's lawn
• When you see someone is down, don’t avoid them. Instead, sit with them, talk to them, and let them feel your love and concern
• Donate an old wedding or prom dress to make angel gowns
• Help kids with their homework
• Clean up old headstones
• Return someone else's shopping cart along with your own
• Help your neighbor with their gardening
• Volunteer at the library
• Cuddle a newborn, volunteer at the hospital to cuddle newborn infants
• Play games with people at retirement centers
• Purchase someone a book
• Pay for the person behind you in line (it doesn’t matter where you are!)
• Knit beanies and donate them to a cancer center
• Treat your new co-worker to lunch
• Teach a music lesson
• Clean a pregnant person's house
• When you see a group of people taking a photo, offer to take the photo so everyone in their group can be included
• Read to people in the hospital
• Hug someone who needs a hug
• Leave a small gift and note of gratitude for your mail delivery person
• Return store items you’ve decided not to purchase to their original spot
• Hold the elevator door open
• Be someone’s cheerleader
• Collect diapers and donate them

As you can see, serving others is a multifaceted venture. There is no correct or incorrect way to serve someone. There is no way which is better than the other. Do what you can with what resources you have to show your love and support for those you come into contact with. It doesn’t matter if they’re someone you’ve known your whole life or a stranger on the street. When you see an opportunity to nourish another individual, do so. You never know the monumental footprint a simple act can leave.

-Torrance Church of Christ

8 Measures We Can Take to Become More Christlike

Romans 15:5 states: May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had.

Take a second to ponder on that scripture. What does it mean to you? How does this apply to your life?  Do you have the same attitude as Christ? Are you taking the initiative to become more like Christ? 

Why it is Important to be Christlike

When we align our values and actions to that of Christ, we are taking the steps to become closer to God and everlasting life. We will be examples to those in our lives who need extra encouragement. And we will become better able to combat the temptations of evil. 

Christ is Love

Christ is the quintessential model for love. He came to this Earth to teach us because He loves us so much. He faced persecution because He loves us so much. He sacrificed His life to enable us to attain eternal life because He loves us so much. If He was able to face death because He loves us, we should be able to love our boss who sometimes works us too hard, our neighbor who complains about our dog barking, and the driver who cut us off. We need to love everyone, even those who have wronged us. 

Christ is a Friend

Jesus nurtured and maintained his friendship with his disciples. He was attentive to them, respected them, and loved them enough to share the Word of God with them. We can also take a look at the Story of Lazarus. Jesus actively listened and comforted Martha and Mary when they came to Him and shared their concerns and fears for their brother. Christ showed and displayed empathy for the two women. He understood the importance and positive impact being a friend can have. We can all learn from His example. Be a friend to those who need you. Listen to, engage with, and let your friend know how significant they are. 

Christ is Forgiving

In Luke, we learn of the sinful woman. She had discovered Jesus was attending dinner at the Pharisee's house and came to Him. The others in attendance were disgusted by this woman and commented on her sinful lifestyle. She had cried to Jesus, washed His feet with her tears, dried them with her hair, and anointed them with perfume. Jesus forgave her for her sins. On His last day in His mortal body, Jesus forgave Peter. Jesus had warned Peter that when the day came, Peter would deny Him three times. Peter did not believe this, but he realized his mistake when the moment came and he had in fact denied Jesus, not just once, but three times, like was prophesied. Jesus forgave His friend. Irrefutably the best example of Jesus showing forgiveness was when the Roman soldiers were nailing Him to the cross. Not only were the soldiers nailing Him up, but the other criminals on crosses and the crowd that had gathered to watch were mocking Him. This is when Jesus cried out:

What a powerful message we get from that scripture. Forgiveness is such a crucial instruction we need to apply in our lives. 

Christ is Obedient

The mere fact that Jesus came to this Earth to teach and die for our sins to be forgiven shows how obedient Christ is. His whole mortal life was overflowing with obedience. Jesus taught, preached, and lived the Word of God. He served his Father in every moment of His life. We need to also. We need to obey our Father's commandments. 

Christ is Patient

Throughout His lifetime, Christ practiced patience. He showed patience every time He was mocked, doubted, and persecuted. He showed patience with his disciples while teaching them. Jesus showed patience with his friends, and patience with his enemies, He even showed patience while he suffered on the cross. We too can be patient with those around us.

Christ is Humble

Jesus is perfect. He healed the sick, raised the dead, walked on water, and turned water into wine. He performed countless miracles. Yet, He was never prideful. Instead, He always stayed humble. Jesus’s mortal life started in humility. He was born in a barn. He learned the trade of carpentry, a humble profession, not one of nobility. Jesus spent time and shared love with people from all walks of life, the sick, the sinners, women, and children. At the Last Supper, Jesus showed humility by washing His apostle’s feet. Jesus never placed Himself above anybody. He was humble in all of His doings.

Christ is Prayerful

Throughout the Bible, we can find many examples of Jesus praying. Jesus taught His disciples how to pray and the power of prayer. Jesus prayed openly with others, and in private. He knew the importance of communication with our Father in Heaven. Pray often, pray for yourself and others.

Christ is Charitable

Jesus regularly spent his time being charitable. Being charitable doesn’t just mean the more common definition it has today of donating goods and money. Charity can be displayed in many forms and no matter the form, it basically comes down to helping those in need. One lesson we can learn in the Bible about charity is the story of Zacchaeus. Zacchaeus was the tax collector in Jericho. He was a wealthy man. While Jesus was passing through town, Zacchaeus was so touched by Jesus, that he donated half of his possessions. We can and should soften our hearts as Zacchaeus had. We should be generous to others.

Your Steps

By adopting these 8 attributes into your daily life, you can become more Christlike. Be love, be a friend, forgive everyone, practice obedience, realize patience, humble yourself, pray often, and serve others in charity. 

Matthew 6:19-21 says: Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

We are promised riches and treasures in Heaven. By becoming more Christlike, you are doing your part to attain your place in eternal glory.