“Your spirit is the catalyst for your entire health journey.”
Our understanding of whole health is anchored in 1 Thessalonians 5:23 that reads “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” This verse is key to understanding the triune design of the human being: spirit, soul, body. Oftentimes people train the body while abusing the soul, or nurture the soul while ignoring the spirit. These approaches are conflicting and incomplete. God's order is for our spirit to rule over our soul, and our soul to direct our body. Over time this order has actually become reversed where people are led by their senses, intellect, or reasoning-making it nearly impossible to distinguish the soul from the spirit. Whole health can truly begin with a regenerated spirit-one that is restored to connection and communication with the Creator, God. Our spirit is how God can access our soul-to renew us and teach us, lead us into rest, and restore our whole health! We believe the spirit of a person becomes alive when they encounter the spirit of God and receive Jesus Christ at salvation.
But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, (Ephesians 2:4-6, NIV)
Upon making Jesus Christ your Lord, your spirit underwent an instant and complete transformation...You aren't in the process of trying to get anything from God. Everything you'll ever need in the Christian life is already present in its entirety in your spirit. (Wommack, A. (2010). Spirit, Soul & Body, pg. 9)
A medical doctor once told me that when he was saved and received the Holy Spirit, he changed 80 percent of his prescriptions. He said, "Before I was saved I learned certain methods in medical school. I gave advice and prescriptions according to what I learned. When God's Spirit entered me, I saw humans the way God sees them. I knew their needs, not from a medical sense, but from a spiritual sense. Many times I said, 'You know you don't need any medicine. I'll pray for you. That's all you need'. I would pray for them and they would go on their way. (Sumrall, L. (1995). Spirit Soul & Body, p. 181)
If you do not know God your Maker, it's likely you derive your identity from people, roles, ideas, or possessions. You may find your motivations to accomplish health goals are to gain the approval of yourself or others. This focus keeps you vulnerable to ever-changing opinions and pop culture. Instead you can walk in relationship with the One who created you who will always give you acceptance, identity, and approval. When you know your identity is secure with the One who made you, you can think and eat better because of love, not hate.