tionally
tion; others begin with a background
of dysfunctional or addictive human
interaction; still others in a place
where relationships are open and af-
firming. Physically, some begin the
journey with serious health issues,
whether present at birth or brought
on by an accident; others begin in
an unhealthy condition brought on
by their own unwholesome lifestyle
and lack of self�care; still others in
a place where they have enjoyed a
predominantly wholesome body life.
Where some begin in a place where
they must battle very difficult odds,
others are positioned with fewer
obstacles. What progress means
for one person--and how it is best
measured--is different for an-
other person. For example, we may
think a person with certain emo-
tional issues is mentally unhealthy
and should have made more prog-
ress as a Christian by now, but the
reality may be that he has come a
long, long way from where he be-
gan his journey. He needs both our
encouragement and our honesty
to help him on the way to health.
us on the journey? Spiritual health
is nurtured in many ways, but some
of them are crucial: regular engage-
ment with Scripture, attentiveness
to the life and teaching of Jesus in
particular, practice of the spiritual
disciplines that help us live the life
of Jesus and seeking the counsel of
a pastor, spiritual guide or mentor.
Emotional and relational health is
with family and friends, choosing
healthy and helpful relationships,
removing oneself from dysfunctional
and damaging relationships, being
part of a caring fellowship, pastoral
counseling to address specific issues
and perhaps professional therapy to
deal with persistent emotional pain
and paralysis. Physical health is im-
proved by eating nutritional rather
than comfort food, moderate exer-
cise and relieving stress with relax-
ation, enjoyment and creativity.
part and parcel of the whole, more
so than anything else. There is a
spiritual dimension to everything
in our lives. Our spiritual health af-
fects our emotional, relational and
physical health, and can be affected
by them. A healthy spiritual life
will give strength and foster heal-
ing in these areas, as an unhealthy
spiritual life will spread illness ev-
erywhere. For example, a person
can suffer excruciating pain from
a spreading cancer in his body, but
his healthy spirit, born of a deep re-
lationship with a loving God, will
make of the cancer a defeated en-
emy, even though the defeat may
have to await the Resurrection. In
the final analysis, we who know our-
selves to be the beloved of God and
who love God with all our hearts,
will make the journey to full health.
of eternity, we will have brought
with us an emotional life still not
fully formed, some relational hurts
still not fully healed and a body
now diseased. And then something
amazing will happen: our spirits,
now caught up fully in the love of
God, will bring us--every part of
us--on to completion. We will then
begin another journey, only this
time we'll travel in full health.
spirit, our emotional life, our rela-
tionships and our body--prepar-
ing ourselves to be fully whole.
in retirement in Tucker, GA. An
accomplished author, his books include
He Who Laughed First and Community
in Mission: A Salvationist Ecclesiology.