What if nurturing and nourishing the spirit and soul is what transforms the physical?
“You don’t have a soul, you are a soul. You have a body.” Though there may be squabbles over where this quote originated, it hardly detracts from its thought provoking message.
For far too many years than I care to imagine, this was me. I neglected nurturing my spirit and soul though actively filled the void by obsessing over the physical. The variety of physical ailments and countless insecurities regarding my body led to a hyper focus on what I mistakenly believed I could and would control with this constant, life leeching attention. I was wrong.
I was depriving myself, over indulging, and blindly falling victim to what others spoke over my physical being from medical perspectives and beyond. I permitted THOUGHTS regarding my physical body to become my BELIEFS and I ACTED accordingly.
I lived as if I was simply a physical body, failing to recognize the true essence of my being pointing to my SPIRIT and SOUL. With distress taking rule in my mind, I find it interesting now as I reflect upon that season that my foundation was neglected. I was in no way NURTURING my spirit and soul and the impact was evident in my physical body. I am NOT saying that each time one experiences varying physical ailments they have neglected their spirit and soul either. Merely making an observation about my particular circumstance at the time and the deep connection between the two.
Our BODY is NOT WHO WE ARE in WHOLE but in PART. Nourishing and nurturing our physical body, while clearly important, is not where transformation begins. It’s not WHERE we start if it’s a long-lasting metamorphosis we seek.
Optimal PHYSICAL WELLNESS, however, can become a beautiful direct result of focusing on the INSIDE WORK as your beginning point. As the deep inner work is taking place, the two can gently walk alongside one another, complementing and supporting this beautiful companion. It is here where true healing and renewal will bloom and grow.
What if fixing the physical begins from deep within? What if this crucial SPIRIT and SOUL work enables us to soar in the physical? What if we’ve been starting in the wrong place by focusing first on our physical being? Perhaps it’s not a list of BEHAVIOR MODIFICATIONS, HOW TO’S, and INCREASED WILLPOWER where we should begin after all.
When we are feeling STRESSED, DISCOURAGED, WEARY, and DEPLETED, it may stem from neglecting to NOURISH OUR SPIRIT and SOUL. We know too well that those disheartening feelings have a compound effect on our physical health. So I invite you to get CURIOUS about yourself here.
We were CREATED by a designer who KNOWS us through and through. He created us to NEED Him deeply and fill those empty spaces with HIM. He gave us FREE WILL however and when the opposite path is chosen it leads to complete unfulfillment impacting our WELLNESS in spirit, soul and body.
When our SPIRIT and SOUL are at rest wouldn’t it make sense that this PEACE and RADIANCE would reflect in the PHYSICAL?
Romans 8:6 tells us, ““The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.”
I want LIFE and PEACE. I want my mind governed by the spirit, NOT my flesh. This truly is FREEDOM.
THIS LIFE and PEACE is what the Lord has GIVEN me BUT I had to earnestly seek His face. I sought and found what it was that all along I was missing. Complete fulfillment of my spirit and soul from HIM. And you know what? When I began to NOURISH and NURTURE my spirit and soul in this way my physical body found healing. I gained clarity and insight surrounding medical issues that left doctors stumped for over a decade. I began to understand the intricacies and needs of my physical body. I began to release weight. Mental anguish subsided and eventually left. I now have access to a whole new tool kit when faced with life’s adversities. I gained LIFE and PEACE.
This does require INTENTION and a focused yet quiet mind. DISTRACTION can and will easily move into this space if we permit it. The world today is FILLED to the BRIM with unfulfilling ways to fill the void. Endless possibilities at your fingertips in fact. Then before we know it, we experience a deep emptiness thus enabling this dreadful cycle once again.
Does any of this resonate with you? Have you felt the deep dark emptiness, unfulfillment, and despair? Did your physical health suffer? It makes sense. I’ve been there. So what can we do?
For me nourishing my SPIRIT and SOUL can now look a number of different ways. Here’s a few: READING the BIBLE and truly discovering WHO GOD IS, PRAYER, WORSHIPING the LORD, GUIDING others to FREEDOM in their WELLNESS JOURNEY, WRITING, BURDEN RELEASE, SINGING, LISTENING to PRAISE and WORSHIP, GIVING(just because), LAUGHING with FRIENDS, GENEROSITY of time and gifts, READING, QUALITY TIME with MY GUY and KIDS, SWEET MOMENTS with FAMILY. 💓
How do YOU nourish your spirit and soul? Have you found yourself fixating more on the physical than on your spirit and soul? What do you notice when that occurs? There is no judgment here either. Simply a chance to discover the possibilities of what could be holding you back.
Choose 2 to 3 MICRO MOVEMENTS you can put into action this week that will NOURISH your spirit and soul. Journal what you discover.
If you’ve read this, know I’m covering you in prayer. I have WITNESSED God’s Faithfulness even in the depths. He cares for YOU and is WAITING to walk with you through it ALL. Invite Him in and allow Him to change you from the inside, out! He will.