Maintaining Spiritual Health And Wellness

"Today's Devotion" For April 30, 2005

Read: Jude 17-23; Colossians 2:1-19

MAINTAINING SPIRITUAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS

"But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life." (Jude 20-21)

Have you considered how marvelous a creation the human body is? It's an intricate combination of pumps, plumbing, infrastructure, and intelligence. The human heart is an engineering marvel, designed to pump, non-stop, for almost a hundred years. In order to fight disease, the body manufactures any number of antibodies and develops immunities as well. Assisted by medical science through the development of vaccines, antibiotics, surgical procedures, as well as various types of therapies and treatments, the human body is capable of withstanding intense suffering, pain, deprivation, and hardship. With the proper diet and exercise, according to medical professionals, the body's ability to fight off disease and illness, and even ward off the vagaries of old age, can be greatly enhanced.

The New Testament describes the Church as the Body of Christ. It, too, is a marvelous creation of God through the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. By the power of God's Word and Spirit the Body of Christ lives to serve Him and others in Jesus' name, to worship and praise the Creator, and to share the love of God in Jesus Christ with the world. Yet, just as the human body is subjected to physical suffering, illness, disease, frustration, and unhealthy practices and diets, so also is the Body of Christ. Although redeemed and restored to God through Christ, we are still sinners and subject to all the problems that Sin brings into our lives. Jude understood that issue and echoes what the Apostle Paul had said a number of times before as he does in Colossians 2. Regardless of the marvels of the Body of Christ, there are, within the Church, those who would bring illness, disease and infection upon that Body. There are those who would attempt to poison our hearts and minds and drive us away from God and His love for us in Christ. These attempts are not usually frontal assaults, but sneak up on us, just like the common cold, which, left to its own devices can turn into pneumonia.

Jude and Paul both encourage us, the members of the Body of Christ, to be alert and prepared for the assaults of Sin and unbelief upon the Church. We know that the human body needs the proper diet and exercise for physical health, the proper mental stimulation for mental health, and the proper support for emotional health. Both Jude and Paul also remind us that the Body of Christ also needs the proper spiritual diet and exercise for its spiritual health and growth as well. The spiritual diet and exercise for the Body of Christ is in the Word of God. Worship, Bible Study, prayer, acts of love and kindness, telling others about Jesus, living a life that is pleasing to God--all these are both the diet for strengthening our faith and the exercise that builds us up in faith so we might persevere no matter the temptation that would lead us away from Jesus. By such engaging in such spiritual "dieting and exercise," the Church will not only persevere in the face of false teaching, but it will also "rescue" others who have been plagued with doubts or who have been led astray by such teaching. Today is a good day to be reminded once again that we are in need of the nourishment of God's Word so that we can be ready and full of life when Jesus comes again.

Prayer: Father, I know that I'm not as faithful to Your Word and promises in Jesus Christ as I could be. Each day I'm tempted to speak and act in ways contrary to Your Will and purpose for me. I'm tempted by the allure of the world around me to get in "lock-step" with society and culture so that I don't stand out like a sore thumb. Just as I'm often not very diligent about having a healthy diet or engaging in regular exercise to keep my body healthy and strong, so also does my spiritual diet and exercise tend to suffer. Lead me to be in Your Word daily so that I might be fed with Your pure spiritual food and strengthened in my faith. Guide me to exercise my faith as I discover and take the opportunities You give to share Your love in Christ with others who are still don't know Jesus as their Savior and Lord. Keep me faithful and trusting in You for all things so that I might not be led astray by false teaching, but hold fast to the truth so that I may lead others away from false teaching and into the truth of Your love in Christ; in Whose precious and most holy name I pray. Amen.
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--Pastor Boeck

Copyright © 2005 Rev. Richard J. Boeck, Jr. All rights reserved.