Your (Other) Annual Check Up

I’ve been thinking about how the majority of us go to the doctor to get an annual check up for our physical health, but what about our spiritual health? God designed our body to tell us when we’re sick or injured. For example: we feel pain, have a temperature, or sudden swelling. We don’t need to be convinced we need help to fix what’s happening because we can’t ignore the symptoms. We gratefully accept over-the-counter medications, a prescription, physical therapy, or possibly even surgery. We know we don’t have the knowledge or resources to become healthy again ourselves, so we lay aside our pride and ask for help.

Can you see where this is going?

There’s a clear parallel between our physical health and spiritual health “systems.” A cause is paired with obvious symptoms to alert us that something is out of balance or urgently wrong so we can get help to become well again. It may be more obvious when the message is physical, but the consequences of spiritual sickness are just as real. They’re a matter of life or death of a different kind. When an untreated cause leads to sin, it grows and separates us from God.

When we look at our culture today, we can see many symptoms of true spiritual sickness everywhere. Hopelessness. Anxiety. Suicide. Alcohol and substance addiction. Depression. Inconsolable grief. Violence. Sexual addiction. Sexual abuse. Imbalanced materialism and greed. There are even more. We can look at this list and all agree each one is unhealthy. These unhealthy manifestations indicate something is very wrong – spiritually. In every one of these examples a cause started the process and a person’s sinful nature, emotions, and actions ran the wrong way in reaction to it. This gives the enemy of our souls, satan, a foothold to try and destroy their life – eternally. 

A heartbreaking example of this is the homeless population. None of these precious people ever dreamed of living on the streets. The loss of a job, a loved one, abuse, medical issues, PTSD, or something devastating happened and progressed without help. A cause was the root that grew, then in many cases led to substance abuse, followed by a chain of other compounding problems. The good news is, God can use a cause and spiritual symptoms to get our attention and turn us to Him for help, no matter how sick we are. In the Bible we read that Jesus, who is God the Son, came to earth for this very reason, as we read in Luke 5:31-32 (NLT):

“Jesus answered them, ‘Healthy people don’t need a doctor – sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent.’”

Spiritual health requires spiritual healing.

All of us were given a human body plus an eternal soul by God our Creator. He is the One who gave us life (and continues to). More than just physical, we are spiritual beings. The first step to eternal health is to pray to be forgiven of our sins and become born again, spiritually. John 3:16 (NIV) tells us we must truly believe to receive this gift:

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

Then, as a true believer this is what we are to do, according to Jesus, the One who paid the price for our forgiveness. Matthew 22:37-40 (NIV) says this:

“Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and Prophets hang on these two commandments.“

Notice that Jesus (God the Son) says we are to love God the Father with all our heart, soul and mind. This is the firm foundation for spiritual health. 

• Our heart represents our deepest affections, desires and emotions
• Our soul is our entire being, life, and spiritual existence
• Our mind is our intellect, thoughts, understanding, and will

As a believer, this total, undivided commitment makes God the center of everything in life. When life brings its challenges – and it will – you have a choice each time to follow the wrong path or follow Him. You follow Him by reading and doing what His Word, the Bible, says. You can also talk with Him in prayer and ask for strength, wisdom and help to meet your needs, with humble thanks for His many blessings. With His powerful love and help, you can overcome and be spiritually healed of any harmful cause that’s happened in your life.