Articles
Staying Healthy, Spiritually
We did our annual physicals at work today. Twenty years ago, I could fill out my name at the top, and sign the bottom, and leave all the boxes of problems unchecked. Boy, those were the days.
Now, I have to check several of those boxes, list all my surgeries, list all my meds, and even say "continued on back" because there is not enough space to list everything. Over time, my body has changed, my injury list has grown and now it's pills when I wake up and pills when I go to bed!
We expect "A G E" to do that to our physical bodies don't we? But what about our spiritual well-being? Have you had a 'spiritual' lately?
Maybe it would be helpful if we had a check list like we do for our physicals, listing the potential things we need to be concerned about, identifying what we are having problems with and if it has changed since last time. We could go down the list and say yes or no to issues or problems in our lives. In our physicals, a doctor looks over that list to see if there is anything he/she needs to address. We could talk to fellow Christians, or the Elders if need be, if we had some boxes checked on our list.
I used to hate needles, but now, it's absolutely nothing to have my blood drawn and usually takes two or three stabs, literally, to get my blood. I know that's necessary though, so they can analyze my blood and identify things that I don't even know I have a problem with. In a spiritual sense, if we don't do some analysis from time to time, we might have spiritual weaknesses, illnesses and problems that we don't even realize.
I realize the above isn't the greatest of comparisons, but hopefully at least you get the point, we need to check up on our spiritual health often to insure we are indeed healthy, that we are walking in the light, and that we are not a stumbling block to others. We need to do a check up to make sure pride has not surfaced, or greed, or hate, or any of a multitude of things that sometimes creep in unknowingly, and stay somewhat hidden from view. Are we keeping our distance from materialism, immorality and those diseases that plague the world. Do we need some medicine from the Great Physician, to rid us of some unwanted spiritual disease we are struggling with? Is it possible that we have become accustomed to spiritual aches and pains, that with a little treatment, we could rid ourselves of?
Today, as every day, personal reflection is needed. Self examination is needed. We need to look inward, where nobody else can see, and if we find sickness, disease, injuries or malnutrition, let us first ask God for help, and then let us get ourselves on the road to recovery.
