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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

20 Daily Affirmations for Christians

What are Daily Affirmations?

Daily Affirmations are statements that you can repeat to yourself. They are positive and uplifting declarations that you can repeat out loud or silently in your head. 

What is the Purpose of Daily Affirmations?

Affirmations are used to negate the effects of negative thoughts. When you use affirmations, you are essentially replacing a negative thought with a positive one. You can create neural pathways to retrain your brain with a new pattern of thinking. Examples of more commonly used affirmations are:

I am successful.

I am loved.

I am worthy. 

As you can see, affirmations are commonly used to raise self-esteem, empower, and motivate. When you repeat these statements, you plant the seed in your brain and with continued use, that seed will flourish and you’ll be able to see outward changes. 

Why Should Christians use Daily Affirmations?

You don’t have to use Daily Affirmations. It is a purely personal choice. The affirmations we have compiled below are meant to be looked at as helpful reminders of your faith in God. These affirmations will help you to stay true to your values. 

- Torrance Church of Christ

The Do’s and Don'ts For Inviting Friends to Church

We know it can be unsettling to invite someone to attend church with you. You know the Gospel message is the vital and life-changing foundation in your life. You know serving the Lord, and building a relationship with Him provides you with everlasting life. You know and you desire to share the good news of the Gospel with your loved ones and you’ve been commanded to spread His word. So why does it feel daunting? 

Human beings don’t like to be uncomfortable, and we tend to avoid any feelings of discomfort. This includes both discomfort for ourselves and those around us. Why can sharing something we value so highly cause discomfort? There are a number of reasons why we feel rattled over the thought of inviting someone to church, especially if they are a non-believer. We may be worried they’ll just decline the offer. Maybe you don’t want to come off as a pushy person. It is possible you just don’t know the most tactful way to start that conversation. Whatever your reasons may be, we hope that after reading this article you’ll feel more at ease about inviting a friend to tag along with you this Sunday. 

The Do’s:

Mention your church- Intermittently bring up something you learned at church, an interesting fact, or something that brought you comfort. You’ll be planting the seeds of interest within your friends. 

Be careful with your choice of words- Use phrases such as, “Do you attend a church around here?” or “Did you attend a church when you were growing up?” These are a couple of great conversation starters to get onto the topic of church. 

Keep it casual- Invite your friend to a casual and relaxed church function. This could be anything! If your church is holding any type of social gathering, such as a BBQ or movie night, that is a great place to introduce your friend to your church and other members.

Utilize Holidays- Inviting a friend to a holiday-centered church program can have a substantial impact. Around holidays, such as Christmas and Easter, people are naturally feeling more warmth in their hearts. They are more open to service and good deeds. The Gospel and Doctrine of Jesus Christ embody the importance of serving others. Holiday-centered programs highlight the service and sacrifices Jesus Christ endured for us. These programs are an excellent birthplace for the Spirit to manifest in your friend's heart. 

Follow up- Your friend agreed to attend a church gathering or meeting of worship with you, but they haven’t followed through with their end of the agreement. That’s okay. Send them a quick text asking them if they’re still planning on coming with you. 

Love them- You’re ultimately inviting your friend to church because you love them. You love them so much that you want to share this cherished element of your life with them. Let that love shine through in your invite. Even if they say “no”, let them see that you will continue to love them anyway. 

Pray- Say a prayer for guidance when inviting a friend to church. Let Him open and soften your friend's heart. 

The Don'ts

Don’t judge them- One major reason the topic of church and inviting someone, especially a non-believer, feels kind of taboo for both involved, is the underlying fear of judgment. The invited are often worried that their friend inviting them is secretly judging them as a person. If we are being honest, sometimes we are judging someone. We might be judging where they are in life, and desiring for them to see how having a relationship with Christ can improve their lives. However, It is important to not judge who you are inviting. Allow them the freedom to choose what is best for them and support their decision.  On the flip side, we can feel like the person we are inviting is judging us. We worry they will think we are weird or awkward. We shouldn’t let this cause us to fear. 

Don’t force or nag- When someone feels forced to do something, or they’re always being nagged to do it, they usually don’t want to follow through with whatever it is. This is the same for inviting a friend to church. Follow up with whoever you invited to attend with you, but do not cross the line over into nagging. 

Remember

Inviting your friend to church with you doesn’t have to be an intimidating experience. There are ways to ease the conversation and create a comfortable atmosphere, by just being you. Start the conversation, plant the seeds, let Him do His work, respect their decision and don’t take a denial personally, and above all, continue to love them. 

-Torrance Church of Christ