I was sitting in my Perspectives in Christian Marriages class tonight and was suddenly given this idea of Health. It popped into my mind for various reasons, but then it started to linger. What is it? What defines it? Are we talking mental health, spiritual health, physical health? What does it look like to be "healthy" in these stages? And which one is more important? It's hard to say. I thought we'd talk about it for a bit!
The definition I got was this:
1. the general condition of the body or mind with reference to soundness and vigor: good health; poor health.
2. soundness of body or mind; freedom from disease or ailment: to have one's health; to lose one's health.
Hmmm.... not very descriptive. not really what I was looking for. But that's fine. It gives us a basis.
I think the biggest "health" people look for is physical health. I know I focus on that more than anything else. How do I get skinny? is there something wrong with me? Am I eating the right things? Why can't I lose weight? And so forth. Sometimes I feel like we are brainwashed hypochondriacs that feel like if something is going right, there must be a disease we have. But seriously, they make a pill for everything! It's nuts! I just think it's funny that we are so set on our physical health instead of a lot of other things. I mean don't get me wrong, it is important. We should watch our cholesterol, blood pressure, all those important things, but I think we are watching it too carefully. Getting nervous too easily.
What we should be focusing on is spiritual health. I don't even know what that means! What would that look like? Whatever it is, I want it. I don't know how to achieve it or when I'll know when I'm "healthy" but hopefully I'll just know. I wanna be that person who has a close relationship with God, and a real one at that. Not the, oh yah, I know him. Do I? And don't think that I mean like KNOW him in the sense of knowing everything about Him cuz that's nearly impossible, but just being the Christian I'm supposed to be. It's so much harder to do that it sounds like. And I'm thinking that "obesity" in spiritual terms is probably a good thing....
LET'S ALL BE SPIRITUALLY OBESE!!! :)
Amy
i was kind of thinking about that this week to... because people tend to focus primarily on the physical health and making sure you are taking care of yourself, but there are so many other elements you have to consider.
ReplyDeletelike, for instance, deciding how much sleep i plan to get this week. obviously, i don't want to abuse myself, but let's say that i plan to go to bed early every night, wake up go to work... I don't think that would be good for my mental health.
and waking up for church when i'm really sleep deprived may not be "healthy" but if i just sleep and eat right but never see people, never talk to God, never go to church I am not going to healthy as a whole.
i mean, people can have everything right physically but if they are not mentally healthy that will eventually affect them physically, spiritually, etc. i think if you are spiritually unhealthy it is just the same. it's important to take care of every part of yourself-- it's all about balance. which is exactly what i'm trying to do. :) are you still planning to run the half marathon?
God wants you to be the vessel he can pour himself into and overflow out into the world. He created you uniquely - literally, you're one of a kind - and this was his intent. Don't worry about chasing after any ideals of health... just chase after God because nothing is worth anything if he isn't the source.
ReplyDelete"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." Matthew 6:33