Spiritual Health I. Introduction A. We all, at least in theory, recognize the value of our physical health 1. It is something we prize, especially when we are not doing as well! 2. We recognize that we probably should take our health into consideration when we make decisions B. What is true of our physical health can also be true of our spiritual health! C. Matthew 9:11-13 1. In context, condemnation of the Pharisees, demonstration of Jesus' purpose 2. Nevertheless, we see that Jesus uses the imagery of health and wellness to describe spiritual realities D. Thus, we have precedent for discussing the "health" of our spiritual lives! E. Just as it is advisable to have physicals occasionally to make sure all is well, it is advisable to have similar "spiritual checkups" as well! F. How is your spiritual health? II. Diet A. Part of being healthy physically is to consider one's physical diet 1. What foods are you eating? 2. What drinks do you consume? 3. Are you getting sufficient nutrition from your food? 4. Does your food cause health problems? B. Just as physical diet dictates physical health, so our spiritual diet dictates our spiritual health! C. 1 Peter 2:2, Hebrews 5:12-6:4 1. Imagery: spiritual milk, spiritual meat, spiritual food 2. All of these refer to understanding the will of God and His truth! D. Deuteronomy 8:3, John 4:13-14; 31-34, John 6:32-35, John 7:37-38 1. All of these points to the same reality: we are sustained spiritually on God and His words 2. If we would subsist spiritually, we must feast on God's message! E. Therefore, how is your spiritual diet? 1. Are you consuming enough of God’s message to survive? 2. Are you balanced in that which you consume spiritually? 3. Is your spiritual diet leading you to growth and health? F. What does all of this mean? 1. Are you taking every opportunity to hear God's Word being preached? 2. Are you reading the Bible? 3. What are you reading in your Bible? Is it helping you to better understand God's will for you? 4. How can you spiritually develop better based on your reading and understanding? 5. Have you become complacent and feel no imperative to reading God's Word? Would you feel that way about your physical diet? G. Just as our physical diet is critical for our continued existence and growth, so is our spiritual diet! III. Exercise A. It is the dreaded reality 1. No matter how well one maintains diet, diet is never enough to lead to good physical health 2. One must keep the body in good condition through some form of physical exercise! 3. Everyone knows the benefits and value of exercise, but how many put the time into it? 4. Alas, without constant movement, body parts wear down; complete lack of use can lead to becoming an invalid! B. Exercise is necessary physically, and spiritual exercise is just as necessary! C. 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, 1 Timothy 4:7-8, Hebrews 12:1-3 1. Life of the Christian like a race! 2. Physical training has some value-- training in godliness much more so! D. Spiritual exercise represents the practice of the faith 1. Hebrews 5:14: maturity means that we constantly practice our faith! 2. It is never enough to just know God's truth-- His message must be practiced as well as understood! 3. James 1:22-25 E. How is your spiritual exercise? 1. Are you the spiritual version of the couch potato? 2. Are you diligently seeking to put God’s principles to action in your life? 3. Do you seek to avoid committing acts of sin (Galatians 5:17-21)? 4. Do you seek to do what is right and good (Galatians 5:22-24, James 4:17)? 5. Do your actions meet your intentions in any way? F. Just as good physical health requires good diet and exercise habits, so good spiritual health requires good learning and practicing habits! IV. Overall Wellness A. We have been considering comparisons and contrasts between physical and spiritual health B. Nevertheless, as humans, we are physical, spiritual, mental, and emotional creatures! 1. This is the way God made us (Genesis 1) 2. God seeks for us to love Him with all of these faculties (cf. Deuteronomy 6:4-6, Matthew 22:37) C. Therefore, while we can consider each of these aspects on their own, we must recognize that overall wellness requires each of them to be well! 1. If we are suffering through emotional difficulties, it often leads to difficulties with our bodies, minds, and souls 2. Spiritual difficulties can lead to emotional, mental, and physical ones! 3. If our body has difficulty, the rest of us is greatly impacted! D. Therefore, we cannot consider spiritual health in a vacuum—we must be holistically healthy! E. We must take care of our physical health 1. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, Galatians 5:22-24, 1 Timothy 4:7-8 2. We are not to be so spiritual as to neglect the physical 3. We must exhibit self-control in our bodies 4. We should take care of the body which God has allowed us to use for His glory F. We must have control over our minds 1. Matthew 22:37: must love God with the mind 2. Matthew 5:27-28, 2 Corinthians 10:5: importance of keeping our mind in control so that we do not sin with our minds 3. Philippians 4:8: need to train our minds to focus on the positive, that which edifies G. We must also consider our emotional health 1. Philippians 4:4: need to rejoice in the Lord 2. Ephesians 4:26: anger without sin 3. Colossians 3:15: allowing Christ's peace to rule in our hearts H. If we suffer with difficulties in other aspects of our lives, it will hinder our spiritual health! 1. Low physical self-esteem often means low spiritual self-esteem 2. Many people are beset with psychological illness that hinder their spiritual growth 3. Many people are controlled by their negative emotions or let themselves be controlled by their negative emotions, hindering the manifestation of God's fruit I. We must remove every obstacle so that we can be truly well! V. Conclusion A. As we can see, our spiritual health is very important B. As with all health matters, prevention of difficulty through examination is critical! C. 2 Corinthians 13:5 D. How is your spiritual health? E. Look to the Great Physician today and be well! F. Invitation/songbook