Spiritual Health & Medicine Series: Intro – Spiritual Health and Growth
As newborn babies, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow.
1 Peter 2:2
We are obsessed today with our physical health. We diet, exercise, take vitamins and supplements, and have gym memberships and equipment at home. Even those that don’t know that they should do a better job of taking care of themselves. Organic foods and the gluten free movement have been sweeping the country for the last 10 years. Health food grocery stores and supplement shops are now commonplace. The medical industry in our country also testifies to how concerned we are about our physical health. Doctors, urgent care centers, hospitals, yearly physicals, etc. are prominent in our society.
In fact, we are also obsessed with our food. I am always thinking about or planning my next meal or snack. The amount of time we spend in one form or another dealing with food is astronomical. We also make sure that we eat each day. Why? Because if we don’t’ we will starve and become very unhealthy. Starving people are sick, weak, and emaciated. Children and babies that are starving will not grow. They will suffer a failure to thrive.
When I first became a Christian a wise man named Bible Bill taught me that I needed to also focus on my spiritual health. “What do you mean?” I asked him. “Spiritual health?” “Now that I am saved and headed to heaven isn’t that all there is?”
“No. Not at all! Your Christian life has just begun! You have to take care of your spiritual health just like you do your physical health. You have to eat, exercise, and avoid germs and the cancer of sin to grow and stay spiritually healthy.” Bill replied with a frustrated look and wrinkled brow. “How do I eat and exercise spiritually?”
“Jesus said that you must be born again to go to heaven. When you were saved you became a spiritual baby. You need to be eating the milk of the Word of God to grow. If not you will starve and remain a spiritual baby. Spiritual health is like physical health. The germs of cancer and sin can harm you. Holiness is like cleanliness. God will empower you and guide you to stay ‘clean.’” He exclaimed.
“Wow. That’s really cool. I get it.” I said.
“It’s really important. Many Christians are technically saved, but are starving and sick from sin and a lack of the Word of God in their diet. Think about it. Can a baby defend itself, feed itself or know their Father. What if they don’t eat? What will happen to them?”
Bill paused for a minute to let this all sink in. Then he continued, “It also affects your relationship with God. Can a baby interact with their father at the same level as a child or adult? Does a baby even know that they are a baby? It even affects an assurance of salvation. A child reaches a point when they are mature enough to understand that they really are a child of their Father.” Bill explained.
“Ok. So I need to grow spiritually? The Bible is my spiritual food? I need to eat a regular diet and digest my food by meditating on what I have read. I let God empower me to avoid sin to stay ‘clean.’” I replied.
“Exactly! You also need to ‘exercise’ by talking to God and let Him guide your life. As he takes you through life’s ups and downs you will get stronger. If you spend half as much time concerned with your spiritual health as you do your physical health you will be in good shape.” Bill explained.
“Yeah. I spend all kinds of time at the gym, dieting, taking supplements, and going to the doctor etc.”
“That’s right. Now take care of your new spiritual man. Grow and be healthy. You will be amazed at what God can do and show you. There is also no end to it! No one reaches full maturity. You can keep growing as much as you want and never reach the peak. The Lord is as deep as you want to go!” Bill said excitedly.
Since that conversation I have been growing for 12 years. It has been an amazing ride. Do you want to grow and be on fire for God? Do you need a spiritual physical? Then stay tuned in to my spiritual medicine series. Join me on Facebook, Twitter, and my weekly blog as I begin to explain how to be spiritually healthy! Sign up today using the links in this email. Exciting topics will include:
Cardiology: Anatomy & Physiology of the spiritual heart.
Cardiology: The Hardened Heart: Diagnosis and treatment options.
Internal Medicine: The Spiritual Health Examination: Revelation Chapters 2-3.
Gastroenterology: Malabsorption and digestive problems of the Word.
Ophthalmology: Blindness and a spiritual vision examination.
Audiology: Spiritual hearing and deafness.
Spiritual Surgery: Going to the Lord’s operating room.
Immunology: The Spiritual Immune System: How to stay healthy and well defended.
Infectious Disease: Spiritual Infections: Diagnosis and antibiotic treatment.
Oncology: The Cancer of Sin: How it starts, spreads, and kills.
Oncology: The Cancer of Sin: Chemotherapy from the Word of God.
Spiritual Food: 66 books of the Bible each with different nutrients and vitamins.
Spiritual Growth: Stunted Growth: Diagnosis and treatment options.
Spiritual Lethargy: The cure.
Spiritual Health: Holiness and cleanliness.
Spiritual Exercise: Faith and relationship.
Spiritual Endurance: Training and finishing the race.
GregV TheWordMD