He [Satan] will take away your prayer life little by little, and cause you to trust God less and less and yourself more and more, a little at a time. He will make you feel somewhat cleverer than before. Step by step, you are misled to rely more on your own gift, and step by step your heart is enticed away from the Lord.
~ Watchman Nee
Spiritual Wellness?
I received an article this morning that made me raise my eyebrows. In it the author shared her definition of “spiritual wellness.”
“We each have our own, individual spiritual journey, and Spiritual Wellness deals with how we seek meaning and purpose in life, our connection with the universe, and a relationship with a higher power, if we so choose. You can explore Spiritual Wellness as part of a faith-based community, but it’s not necessary. Spiritual Wellness means clarifying your beliefs and values so that you can truly live by them.”
Isn’t that just a warm, fuzzy, “spiritualized” version of existentialism in which you create meaning for yourself by knowing what you believe? What if your beliefs are wrong, are you still well?
If person #1 believes A, and person #2 is firmly committed to not-A, are they both still “well” because they both have clarity about what they believe?
It amazes me that people will apply a whole different set of criteria for spiritual wellness than they do for other kinds of wellness. Assume a scenario in which my car is not functioning properly. I take it to two different mechanics and one tells me that I need a new gas filter, but the other tells me that I need to put sugar in my gas tank and that will give me a sweet ride. Is their advice equally valid if I have clarified my belief that they are right and live by those beliefs? Will my car be “well” if I put sugar in the tank just because I believe that is the right thing to do and live by my belief?
No one would presume to believe such foolishness. But when it comes to spiritual beliefs it seems that there are many who jettison all common sense and spout nonsense such as that in the article I received.
“We each have our own, individual spiritual journey, and Spiritual Wellness deals with how we seek meaning and purpose in life, our connection with the universe, and a relationship with a higher power, if we so choose. You can explore Spiritual Wellness as part of a faith-based community, but it’s not necessary. Spiritual Wellness means clarifying your beliefs and values so that you can truly live by them.”
What utter nonsense. Would I have physical wellness if I believed that the key to health was a diet made up entirely of Snickers Bars and Pixie Stix? If I clarified that belief and can truly live by it?
Just as there are positive and negative treatments for my ailing car, and positive and negative treatments for my ailing body, there are also positive and negative treatments for my ailing soul. And, contrary to what the quoted statement says, it is not the individual who determines what will provide meaning, purpose, and “spiritual wellness”, it is God who determines what provides meaning, purpose, and “spiritual wellness.” I am grateful that the God who determines what provides meaning, purpose, and spiritual wellness has shared clearly with us how we can be spiritually well.
What Do You Think?
Why do some people become uncomfortable discussing spiritual matters?
(Share your answers in the comments below.)
What Do You Think?
What do you do when God tells you to crash into your neighbors automobile?
Associated Press
SAN ANTONIO – A man who rammed his truck into a woman’s vehicle on a highway early Friday told authorities he crashed into her while going more than 100 mph because God told him “she needed to be taken off the road.”
The truck rear-ended the car on U.S. Highway 281, both vehicles spun across a median then came to a stop along a barrier in the opposite lanes. Both drivers suffered only minor injuries.
“He just said God said she wasn’t driving right, and she needed to be taken off the road,” Bexar County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Kyle Coleman said in the online edition of the San Antonio Express-News. “God must have been with them, ’cause any other time, the severity of this crash, it would have been a fatal.”
The pickup driver did not tell police how the woman was driving. Police could not find alcohol or drugs in either driver.
A psychiatric evaluation has been ordered for a man.
What Do You Think?
Can anyone know for sure that his or her religion is right? Why or why not?
(Share your answers in the comments below.)
What Do You Think?
This week I was involved in a project at home when the doorbell rang. It was a lady who wanted to share some church literature with me. Yes, you guessed correct. It was a representative of the local Jehovah’s Witness Kingdom Hall. What do you believe is the correct response to someone who is trying to proselytize you? Have you had any interesting experiences to share?
(Share your answers in the comments below.)
What Do You Think?
Do you believe you have a guardian angel?
(Share your answers in the comments below.)
What Do You Think?
Do you believe it is possible to encounter God in a personal way? Why or why not?
Share your answers in the comments below.
What Do You Think?
Why do you think there are so many disagreements over religious and spiritual matters?
Share your answers in the comments below.
What Do You Think?
What is the greatest spiritual advice you ever received?
Share your answers in the comments below.
