Devotional Reading September 15, 2023
“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus…And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.” —Philippians 2:5,8
God is very concerned about our spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical health. The theory that happiness is relative is a false concept. Amidst the global devastation of natural calamities and the human activities that cause harm to our environment, there is evidence of God’s love and compassion for us. From His response of providing for humanity to the beauty and diversity of nature, plant, and animal life, God loudly proclaims His Divine love and desire for our spiritual health, harmony, and happiness.
“‘teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’ Amen.” —Matthew 28:20
The theme of the Bible is God’s love for us. Who else receives God’s grace and mercies? Only human beings who were created in the image of God! Jesus sacrificed His life for us so we can live eternally in a perfect New Heaven and New Earth! We are loved, nurtured, and protected by our Savior. God’s love for humanity is one that not even the angels can understand!
The Harmony of Mind, Body, and Soul
Homeostasis: In biology, homeostasis is the state of steady internal, physical, chemical, and social conditions maintained by living systems. This is the condition of optimal functioning for the organism and includes many variables, such as body temperature and fluid balance, being kept within certain pre-set limits. Wikipedia
Jesus created us with a mind, body, and soul to function within Divine parameters. Living a healthy lifestyle enables our body systems to maintain the perfect state of homeostasis that humanity was created with. To maintain our spiritual equilibrium, we require Divine Intervention. Surrender and faithfulness are the conditions that must be met to maintain spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical harmony with God.
Our full cooperation with Christ, our Creator is expected to stay on the Path of Righteousness. God’s promises indicate that He will always be faithful in loving and caring for us. It is up to us to be faithful and obedient to God.
“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me, you can do nothing.” —John 15:5
Living in harmony with God requires a dependent relationship with Christ who is our Shepherd. We are compared to being sheep in a pasture. Possessing optimal spiritual health, harmony, and happiness is only possible when we faithfully obey God. With humility, we surrender our lives [mind and will] daily to God.
Our love and loyalty to Christ allow us to receive the spiritual benefits of Divine guidance and wisdom from the Holy Spirit. Dedication to God results in receiving wonderful blessings—we can enjoy optimal spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical health and live without worries or anxieties.
From our obedience, God honors the righteous with the spiritual gifts of peace, joy, and contentment. Who else can use supernatural power to fight our battles and promise us victory?
Reflection: “Do I strive to consistently honor God’s will and plans for my life by praying for spiritual guidance and worship Him through the daily study of the Scriptures? Self-reliance serves no purpose in the believer’s life. We have the full assurance that God always keeps His promises.
Despite having the spiritual resources of prayer and the Holy Bible, the culture of Christianity has declined—believers are plagued with mental and emotional unrest. Instead of relying on God’s faithfulness and promises, many are experiencing fear, discouragement, anxieties, and worries. The topics of sermons have changed from being Christ-centered to people-centered. Members come to church with burdens and leave with the same burdens.
Personal worship has become a ritualistic practice of saying a quick prayer on the go without time for studying the Bible. Worshipping God provides the spiritual strength to persevere in this battle between good and evil. Yet, we have eliminated daily communion with God to follow our desires.
Who has the time to worship during the week? This question was recently presented in a sermon. Worship is a lifestyle! Every thought, action, and behavior of a transformed believer should be centered on God which requires a heart filled with love, faith, and surrender. God commands that we should have no other gods before Him.
Living for oneself uses up valuable time. Our lives should include activities that promote overall well-being along with rest and relaxation but should not prevent us from spending quality time every day in worship to honor God.
Busyness is a strategy of spiritual warfare! Busyness is destructive to the mind, body, and soul! Busyness causes our relationship with Christ to be non-existent.
The Impact of Busyness on Our Spiritual Health: Because we are distanced from God, we embrace lifestyles that produce an unhealthy state of dysfunction. Believers are worn down and weary. Our brokenness is a consequence of not putting God first. When we accepted Christ as our Savior, we committed to follow Him by serving the Most High God through faithful obedience. The foundation of believing that “God is always faithful” anchors us in our relationship with Christ.
Because of inconsistent worship [rarely studying the Bible], we are spiritually malnourished, physically tired, and in a state of mental fatigue, and emotional unhappiness. Relying on our strength has its limits. Our reference to victory is every story and promise within the Bible. Without the practice of reinforced learning, the mind easily forgets God’s Character and His promises of faithfulness. God’s divine intervention demonstrated in real-life accounts keeps us grounded and our faith strong.
Hear the Word of God and Do What it Says to Do: “But prove yourselves doers of the word [actively and continually obeying God’s precepts], and not merely listeners [who hear the word but fail to internalize its meaning], deluding yourselves [by unsound reasoning contrary to the truth].” —James 1:22, Amplified Bible
Signs of Spiritual Decline: Attending weekly church services is not enough to produce spiritual growth and transformation. Six days without God results in a weak, faithless Christian. We attend church, hear the word of God, and continue to live according to our mindsets. Without the Scriptures to guide us, we rely on our thoughts. When unexpected life events happen, instead of having joy and peace, we end up stressed and overwhelmed.
Self-reliance excludes God from our daily decision-making which always ends in suffering consequences. As a result, we become overwhelmed with discouragement and ask, “God, where are You?”
Without dedicating the first fruits of our time to worship God in spirit and truth, it is impossible to enjoy a relationship with Christ who gives us the spiritual gift of inner peace of our minds and souls. If we do not fill our minds with the Scriptures then Satan will fill our minds with doubt and the desire for immediate gratification. We will gravitate toward and accept the false concepts of worldviews as a standard for our lives.
Part 2 of 2 focuses on the impact of worldview on our relationship with Christ.
Scripture: “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” —John 14:6
Prayer: God, we have not committed the time to worship You in spirit and truth. We confess that we have relied on our understanding. And for this, we ask forgiveness. We desire to make the covenant vow to spend time in personal worship every day. Thank You for daily provisions and the ability to pray and worship You any time of the day or night. We ask this prayer in the Worthy Name of Jesus, Amen.
© 2023 Steps 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions and Woman, You Are Loved by God Ministries
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