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The Motivation for Spiritual Wellness"Why do I need spiritual wellness??" "Why?" - - It's a question we've asked since we were little kids... "Why do I have to be nice to my brother?" Not only do the "Whys" follow us into adulthood, but that thought leads to other questions...such as: "What is spiritual wellness anyway?" Or some of you may be saying, "I'm just learning about physical wellness, so now I need to make spiritual health and wellness a priority too?" "WHY??" If you've ever asked questions like these, I'd like to share some answers - from perhaps a slightly different perspective.... What is Spiritual Wellness?
Let me be up-front. Yes, I am talking about a biblical, Christian perspective on wellness. If that doesn't fit into your world view at the present time, I respect that. However, I encourage you to please read on and consider the following content. Perhaps it will expand your horizons.
Total wellness incorporates six dimensions: spiritual, physical, emotional, mental, relational, and financial. 
Some people over-emphasize the physical dimension and strive to become body builders, super-models or Ken and Barbie look-a-likes while ignoring their spiritual health!Others over-emphasize the spiritual and neglect their physical wellness! Both of these extremes are dangerous!! [And we won't even get into the people who neglect both their physical and spiritual wellness....] We are all spiritual beings, and we must acknowledge the significance of that invisible yet very real dimension of ourselves. Yet we are also physical beings, and we must recognize the value of physical wellness! Hilton Johnson, Wellness Coach and Entrepreneur, emphasizes physical health this bluntly:
"More important than making money or helping other people is... All you have to do is observe the devastation of a person who has lost their health to know how true Johnson's statement is! Even more importantly however is how the ancient wisdom of Scripture gives us the proper foundation for achieving today's balance of these two dimensions of wellness. Here's a prime example of that wisdom: "...don't you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body." 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (New Living Translation)
The Oval Office or a judge's chambers. How would you feel if that special place was defiled by someone who was: Most of us would be highly offended and insulted! Yet we do something far worse to this "temple" of ours each time we mistreat our body by: 
Eating the wrong foods,Smoking, Eating too much of the right foods, Polluting our minds with any type of evil, Eating for the wrong reasons, Ingesting multitudes of man-made hormones and chemicals, Not hydrating our bodies properly, Not exercising, and Filling a spiritual void with meaningless activities. There is one single reason to seek both spiritual and physical wellness - - Because when you give your heart to God, your body becomes God's temple!! Wow! You can be a beautiful cathedral! "...don't you know that YOUR BODY is the TEMPLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for GOD BOUGHT YOU WITH A HIGH PRICE. So you must honor God with your body. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (New Living Translation; Capitals/Bold mine) Why are Both Physical and Spiritual Wellness Important?
I believe that understanding that this dimension of Spiritual Wellness will keep us motivated on our journey to Physical Wellness! It's not about us – It's about honoring God with both our bodies and our spirits. Here's something else from the Scripture to chew on: "Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones." Proverbs 3:7-8 [New International Version] "Whatever you eat or drink or whatever you do, you must do all for the glory of God." 1 Corinthians 10:31 (New Living Translation) May God Bless you as you endeavor to make your spirit and your body a majestic Temple for God! Researchers, editors and publishers are free to reprint this article as long as the text is reprinted in its entirety and the following signature line remains intact: ©2009, Discovering Family Wellness™ and Return to Discovering Family Wellness Home Page from Spiritual Wellness
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