Season One: Episode 26 Spiritual Health
It is officially summer in Texas and summer is always the perfect place to take time to focus on re-establishing healthy habits and taking better care of ourselves. We have the time to do it - more so than during the school year. We likely have the energy to do it and we have the emotional capacity to take care of ourselves because it's so easy to neglect that when we're more focused on our students during the school year. So in this health series, each episode will focus on a different aspect like fitness, food, vocal health, behavior, mental, and today - our spiritual health. This one can be controversial. I realize that not everyone listening is going to have the same beliefs that I do. In fact some of you may be in complete opposition to what I believe. Faith can play a huge part in who we are. It can be the reason we have the values and habits that we have. Faith can be the reason that we make the choices we make. It can be the way that we cope in difficult times, give us hope for the future, and help us figure out who we are. Faith is very personal.
In approaching this topic, I'm going to share what my faith has meant to me and my spiritual journey. I'm going to talk about habits and things that I do that help me continue to develop my faith and help me work out what I believe. I think faith is something that continues to evolve and should evolve as we work out what we believe and who we believe in.
MY STORY
My faith journey began when I was really little - around 2-3 years old. My parents were invited to a Baptist church so my dad and I went to the service. When I came home, I continued to talk about Jesus repeatedly. Whatever I had heard had stuck with me and I kept talking about Jesus. So my parents went to another service at the church. Their lives were changed and they heard the story of Jesus in a way that changed their lives and mine too. We continued to attend the First Baptist Church of Northville for years. It was my first experience with what living out my faith meant. And I didn't waver. I knew in my heart that the message of Jesus was true from this very young age.
As Rachel Held Evans has said, the story of Jesus is compelling and it just draws you to it over and over. I love what she said on the Jen Hatmaker podcast (For the Love) about faith:
"I think recognizing that faith is actually a risk, like any significant relationship in your life, your relationship with God is a risk that you take. Faith isn't about having it all lined up and believing everything 100%. It's about following Jesus even when it's not entirely clear, even when you don't have it all figured out. And so what it came down to me was just the story of Jesus is so compelling. The story of Jesus is just the story I'm willing to risk being wrong about, and that just...I just can't get rid of Jesus."
And this is exactly how I feel. In each step of my life Jesus has been so very real and even when hard to explain, I know that I know that I know that He is real. And even when I have questions or continue to work out what I believe in terms of some of the grey areas, I can trust that God can handle my questioning and my desire to know Him more because He is so big. He is God. He created me. He knows me well and thoroughly.
Throughout my years growing up we belonged to a variety of Christian churches - Baptist, non-demoninational, Assembly of God, Presbyterian. I went to a Church of God affiliated college for my undergrad degree. I now work at an Episcopalian school and attend a non-denominational church. And the message I learned through all of these places all centers on the truth that Jesus is real. He is real. He was more than a prophet; more than a good guy; more than simply a nice human being. Sure - there are things I can't completely explain and there are questions i continue to have, but I know that Jesus is real. That He loves me and that I've seen God do amazing things in my life.
Faith is defined as 'the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen.' (Hebrews 11:1). Another rephrasing of this is that if we look at the translation of the Greek word for 'substance,' it can mean foundation/something underneath/the substructure. It's what everything else is built upon. Evidence can also be translated as confidence meaning that it has been proven and tested so that we are convicted by what we can't see. I believe that faith is something that we continue to build throughout our lifetime as we seek out what we believe and who we believe in. Whatever or whoever you believe in is likely as a result of your experiences, your family background, your culture, and what you think. I know all of these things have influenced me as I've sought to figure out why I believe in Jesus, in the Bible as a truly accurate book written by imperfect men inspired by God, the main tenets of my faith, and continuing to grow myself spiritually as I seek out more of who God is and who I am. It definitely takes faith, but I'm willing to take that risk because even when I've questioned aspects of what it means to be a Christian and how that plays out in everyday life and what loving others the way that God loves me looks like, I'm growing in my faith in Christ as a result of asking hard questions, of choosing to believe as a result of what I've experienced, and continuing to trust the larger picture of what God is doing in my life.
So what I truly believe is this and you may have heard this a million ways growing up or have heard parts of it or have considered the story of Jesus, but seen the millions of us who call ourselves Christians as hypocrites and terrible people. I'm certain that my life has not always brought about the kind of love and compassion of Christ. I've gotten it wrong many times. Taking about what we believe can be hard. It seems like it shouldn't be, but it's vulnerable. And we're judged. We're thrown into this larger group when one person following Christ ruins it for all and we're all looked at as haters. Judgers. Liars. Unfit to be seen as a Christian or represent who our amazing God is. I get it and I know my life has resembled this at times while also resembling who God is as best it could at other times. I'm an imperfect person who serves a perfect God.
What I know to be true is this:
Even in my best days (and there are some in my pride that I look on and can say that it was a pretty amazingly awesome day where I felt like I loved others and loved God with all that I was to the best of my ability), but I still am imperfect. I can't rescue myself. I can't earn my way into being right with God. There's nothing I could do that would be enough. In His grace - his love and compassion - and in God's unending love for me, He sent Jesus to earth to take on the wrong things that I have done and will do so that through faith in Him alone. He died on a cross, was buried, and rose from the dead. He appeared to his disciples and many, many more. I can be free of my sin and reconciled to Him by simply believing in Him. By saying 'God, I believe you're real and my life is yours. Forgive me. Thank you for loving me.' And so can you. It's a simple act of asking God to be your God and from there it can get a little more complicated as you figure out what that looks like, but it's so worth it to trust in Him.
SPIRITUAL HEALTH
Let's talk aspects of a healthy spiritual life. Just like any other area of your life - health, fitness, vocal, mental - the spiritual aspect can be developed through habits and things that we choose to do or not do. Three things that I do to develop my faith and spiritual health are meditate/pray, talk with others about what I believe, and take notice of what God has done in my life.
Meditate/Pray
Just like you spend time with people you love, you talk with them, you listen to them, and you think about them. It's the same way with our spiritual health. I make time to spend time with God, talking with Him, listening to Him, and thinking about what He says through the words in the Bible. "I meditate your precepts and contemplate Your ways" - Psalm 119:5
This can look a lot of ways. It could be me sitting in bed, eyes closed, and thinking thoughts to God. It could be me listening to a song on the radio and singing it as a prayer. It could look like sitting down with a journal and writing down the names of people I'm thankful for or people that I want to pray for. It could be going on a run through the neighborhood and praying for others in my head. This aspect of meditating and praying is the very hardest for me because I feel as thought I need to be doing something and sometimes meditating and praying doesn't feel like anything is getting done, but it's so important. Resting and letting God rule the world instead of trying to do it myself.
Talking with Other People about what I Believe
Our world is a different place than it was ten or twenty years ago for sure. It is most definitely harder to talk about our faith and beliefs. There is such a divide between us. I have friends who believe very differently than I do. I don't agree with them and they don't agree with me, but I love them and they love me. I respect them and they respect me. It's a challenging thing to share what you believe while also listening to what someone else believes. And letting things be conflicting. It isn't my role to save anyone. I can't do that. I believe that I can live my life serving God to the greatest extent possible and talking about why I believe in Him, but the decision for what others believe is between them and God.
In high school I was adamant about my faith. I carried a huge heavy Bible from class to class - in a public school. I would read it during breaks. I liked to tell other people what I knew to be true, but it wasn't in a loving way. It was in a pushy way. My faith didn't change, but the way I approach sharing about my faith did. Learning to talk about what you believe and why is a great way to really work out what is important to you and honestly, what your core beliefs are. Learning to listen to others is just as important. You don't have to change your beliefs, but be willing to hear others out.
Taking Notice of what God has done in your Life
Likely the biggest input into my life as far as why I believe in Jesus is as a result of seeing Him work in my life. Experiencing His goodness, His love, His forgiveness, His faithfulness to me, and seeing things happen in a way that couldn't be explained any other way.
Examples:
1) Riley praying for a dog and God answering her prayer so clearly
2) Looking at the order and organization of life itself - how we are created, how the world works. Science is a testament to a living God. The order in this world is so detailed in each microscopic aspect that I just can't believe that it just happened or that there wasn't someone in charge of who designed it.
3) Joy and peace that fills me
4) In a few episodes, I'll be talking with my mom about an incredibly hard topic that has impacted our family for many years and one that likely has impacted you in some way too. There's nothing like seeing God's hand in the most difficult of circumstances and watching Him slowly peel back layers of what we thought impossible. You'll hear about how addiction hit our family and how we can get healthy as we love and care for those who suffer from this or as we ourselves suffer from it. God is good. He truly is.
Working out what You Believe
If you're wanting to figure our more of what you believe or want to search out more about what I've shared, here are a few ideas for how to do that:
Confide in Someone
Someone you trust and have seen their life lived out in a way that demonstrates their faith. Ask them about their faith and share what you believe - questions you have, things you're wrestling with. It can be really helpful to work out what you believe by talking with others who believe what you do, who have been a believer in their faith for a long time, and someone that you admire. Ask questions. Seek out information and continue to work out what you believe.
Study the Bible
Where do you begin right? Reading straight through from Genesis to Revelation can be choppy, out of order, and too confusing. If you're wanting to learn more about who Jesus is and what He did, start with one of the first four books in the New Testament: Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John. Many of the same stories are shared in these books, but through a different lens. Psalms and Proverbs are also great books to read for encouragement, watch David struggle with his faith, and learning attributes of God. And of course Genesis outlines everything from the beginning.
If you're looking for more of a study about the Bible, there are great resources as well. I recommend Kay Arthur, Beth Moore, Max Lucado, Shauna Niequist, Jen Hatmaker, Mark Batterson, and Lysa Terkeurst. One of my first really in-depth experiences with doing a bible study was in college when I did several of Kay Arthur's books. If you go to her website at precept.org, you can download free resources that focus on specific topics such as "Who was Jesus?," "The Love of God," and "Knowing God." Using the simple outline, she walks you through how to decipher a passage or more of scripture and apply it to your life and learn more in-depth about God. There are also online classes, devotional books and so much more on her site. One of my favorite devotionals of hers is called 'Lord, I want to know You.' You learn more about the names of God, how they were used contextually, what they represent, and who God is as a result of what He is called. It's kind of like thinking through our roles - mom, sister, wife, daughter, teacher, friend - and looking into how God reveals more of what He is as a result of what He is called.
Another favorite author of mine for years has been Max Lucado. He uses lots of personal stories to share about his experiences with God. Jen Hatmaker brings some comedic relief and just realness to our walk with God. She really breaks down what our faith is about in her book 'For the Love.'
"God measures our entire existence by only two things: how we love Him and how we love people" - Jen Hatmaker
Shauna Niequist just has a way with words that makes you think. I love what she says about grace in her book Bittersweet: "Grace isn't about having a second chance; grace is having so many chances that you could use them through all eternity and never come up empty. It's when you finally realize that the other shoe isn't going to drop, ever."
I'll put links to my favorite Christian authors and resources in the blog. Something that I will say is that these are people who continue to work out their faith and they're not always on the exact same page about every issue. However, they are in full agreement on Who they believe in. I think it's good to challenge ourselves to read different sides to different viewpoints. The Bible is very clear on specific things and more vague on others. I continue to work out my faith in God through what I read, learn, and experience as a result of learning more about who He is and what that means for me. I encourage you to do the same.
I'm not sure what you believe, but I hope you'll take time this summer to seek out a beginning of learning about what you believe, asking questions, and feeding your spiritual soul. Happy summer friends.
It is officially summer in Texas and summer is always the perfect place to take time to focus on re-establishing healthy habits and taking better care of ourselves. We have the time to do it - more so than during the school year. We likely have the energy to do it and we have the emotional capacity to take care of ourselves because it's so easy to neglect that when we're more focused on our students during the school year. So in this health series, each episode will focus on a different aspect like fitness, food, vocal health, behavior, mental, and today - our spiritual health. This one can be controversial. I realize that not everyone listening is going to have the same beliefs that I do. In fact some of you may be in complete opposition to what I believe. Faith can play a huge part in who we are. It can be the reason we have the values and habits that we have. Faith can be the reason that we make the choices we make. It can be the way that we cope in difficult times, give us hope for the future, and help us figure out who we are. Faith is very personal.
In approaching this topic, I'm going to share what my faith has meant to me and my spiritual journey. I'm going to talk about habits and things that I do that help me continue to develop my faith and help me work out what I believe. I think faith is something that continues to evolve and should evolve as we work out what we believe and who we believe in.
MY STORY
My faith journey began when I was really little - around 2-3 years old. My parents were invited to a Baptist church so my dad and I went to the service. When I came home, I continued to talk about Jesus repeatedly. Whatever I had heard had stuck with me and I kept talking about Jesus. So my parents went to another service at the church. Their lives were changed and they heard the story of Jesus in a way that changed their lives and mine too. We continued to attend the First Baptist Church of Northville for years. It was my first experience with what living out my faith meant. And I didn't waver. I knew in my heart that the message of Jesus was true from this very young age.
As Rachel Held Evans has said, the story of Jesus is compelling and it just draws you to it over and over. I love what she said on the Jen Hatmaker podcast (For the Love) about faith:
"I think recognizing that faith is actually a risk, like any significant relationship in your life, your relationship with God is a risk that you take. Faith isn't about having it all lined up and believing everything 100%. It's about following Jesus even when it's not entirely clear, even when you don't have it all figured out. And so what it came down to me was just the story of Jesus is so compelling. The story of Jesus is just the story I'm willing to risk being wrong about, and that just...I just can't get rid of Jesus."And this is exactly how I feel. In each step of my life Jesus has been so very real and even when hard to explain, I know that I know that I know that He is real. And even when I have questions or continue to work out what I believe in terms of some of the grey areas, I can trust that God can handle my questioning and my desire to know Him more because He is so big. He is God. He created me. He knows me well and thoroughly.
Throughout my years growing up we belonged to a variety of Christian churches - Baptist, non-demoninational, Assembly of God, Presbyterian. I went to a Church of God affiliated college for my undergrad degree. I now work at an Episcopalian school and attend a non-denominational church. And the message I learned through all of these places all centers on the truth that Jesus is real. He is real. He was more than a prophet; more than a good guy; more than simply a nice human being. Sure - there are things I can't completely explain and there are questions i continue to have, but I know that Jesus is real. That He loves me and that I've seen God do amazing things in my life.
Faith is defined as 'the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen.' (Hebrews 11:1). Another rephrasing of this is that if we look at the translation of the Greek word for 'substance,' it can mean foundation/something underneath/the substructure. It's what everything else is built upon. Evidence can also be translated as confidence meaning that it has been proven and tested so that we are convicted by what we can't see. I believe that faith is something that we continue to build throughout our lifetime as we seek out what we believe and who we believe in. Whatever or whoever you believe in is likely as a result of your experiences, your family background, your culture, and what you think. I know all of these things have influenced me as I've sought to figure out why I believe in Jesus, in the Bible as a truly accurate book written by imperfect men inspired by God, the main tenets of my faith, and continuing to grow myself spiritually as I seek out more of who God is and who I am. It definitely takes faith, but I'm willing to take that risk because even when I've questioned aspects of what it means to be a Christian and how that plays out in everyday life and what loving others the way that God loves me looks like, I'm growing in my faith in Christ as a result of asking hard questions, of choosing to believe as a result of what I've experienced, and continuing to trust the larger picture of what God is doing in my life.
So what I truly believe is this and you may have heard this a million ways growing up or have heard parts of it or have considered the story of Jesus, but seen the millions of us who call ourselves Christians as hypocrites and terrible people. I'm certain that my life has not always brought about the kind of love and compassion of Christ. I've gotten it wrong many times. Taking about what we believe can be hard. It seems like it shouldn't be, but it's vulnerable. And we're judged. We're thrown into this larger group when one person following Christ ruins it for all and we're all looked at as haters. Judgers. Liars. Unfit to be seen as a Christian or represent who our amazing God is. I get it and I know my life has resembled this at times while also resembling who God is as best it could at other times. I'm an imperfect person who serves a perfect God.
What I know to be true is this:
Even in my best days (and there are some in my pride that I look on and can say that it was a pretty amazingly awesome day where I felt like I loved others and loved God with all that I was to the best of my ability), but I still am imperfect. I can't rescue myself. I can't earn my way into being right with God. There's nothing I could do that would be enough. In His grace - his love and compassion - and in God's unending love for me, He sent Jesus to earth to take on the wrong things that I have done and will do so that through faith in Him alone. He died on a cross, was buried, and rose from the dead. He appeared to his disciples and many, many more. I can be free of my sin and reconciled to Him by simply believing in Him. By saying 'God, I believe you're real and my life is yours. Forgive me. Thank you for loving me.' And so can you. It's a simple act of asking God to be your God and from there it can get a little more complicated as you figure out what that looks like, but it's so worth it to trust in Him.
SPIRITUAL HEALTH
Let's talk aspects of a healthy spiritual life. Just like any other area of your life - health, fitness, vocal, mental - the spiritual aspect can be developed through habits and things that we choose to do or not do. Three things that I do to develop my faith and spiritual health are meditate/pray, talk with others about what I believe, and take notice of what God has done in my life.
Meditate/Pray
Just like you spend time with people you love, you talk with them, you listen to them, and you think about them. It's the same way with our spiritual health. I make time to spend time with God, talking with Him, listening to Him, and thinking about what He says through the words in the Bible. "I meditate your precepts and contemplate Your ways" - Psalm 119:5
This can look a lot of ways. It could be me sitting in bed, eyes closed, and thinking thoughts to God. It could be me listening to a song on the radio and singing it as a prayer. It could look like sitting down with a journal and writing down the names of people I'm thankful for or people that I want to pray for. It could be going on a run through the neighborhood and praying for others in my head. This aspect of meditating and praying is the very hardest for me because I feel as thought I need to be doing something and sometimes meditating and praying doesn't feel like anything is getting done, but it's so important. Resting and letting God rule the world instead of trying to do it myself.
Our world is a different place than it was ten or twenty years ago for sure. It is most definitely harder to talk about our faith and beliefs. There is such a divide between us. I have friends who believe very differently than I do. I don't agree with them and they don't agree with me, but I love them and they love me. I respect them and they respect me. It's a challenging thing to share what you believe while also listening to what someone else believes. And letting things be conflicting. It isn't my role to save anyone. I can't do that. I believe that I can live my life serving God to the greatest extent possible and talking about why I believe in Him, but the decision for what others believe is between them and God.
In high school I was adamant about my faith. I carried a huge heavy Bible from class to class - in a public school. I would read it during breaks. I liked to tell other people what I knew to be true, but it wasn't in a loving way. It was in a pushy way. My faith didn't change, but the way I approach sharing about my faith did. Learning to talk about what you believe and why is a great way to really work out what is important to you and honestly, what your core beliefs are. Learning to listen to others is just as important. You don't have to change your beliefs, but be willing to hear others out.
Taking Notice of what God has done in your Life
Likely the biggest input into my life as far as why I believe in Jesus is as a result of seeing Him work in my life. Experiencing His goodness, His love, His forgiveness, His faithfulness to me, and seeing things happen in a way that couldn't be explained any other way.
Examples:
1) Riley praying for a dog and God answering her prayer so clearly
2) Looking at the order and organization of life itself - how we are created, how the world works. Science is a testament to a living God. The order in this world is so detailed in each microscopic aspect that I just can't believe that it just happened or that there wasn't someone in charge of who designed it.
3) Joy and peace that fills me
4) In a few episodes, I'll be talking with my mom about an incredibly hard topic that has impacted our family for many years and one that likely has impacted you in some way too. There's nothing like seeing God's hand in the most difficult of circumstances and watching Him slowly peel back layers of what we thought impossible. You'll hear about how addiction hit our family and how we can get healthy as we love and care for those who suffer from this or as we ourselves suffer from it. God is good. He truly is.
Working out what You Believe
If you're wanting to figure our more of what you believe or want to search out more about what I've shared, here are a few ideas for how to do that:
Confide in Someone
Someone you trust and have seen their life lived out in a way that demonstrates their faith. Ask them about their faith and share what you believe - questions you have, things you're wrestling with. It can be really helpful to work out what you believe by talking with others who believe what you do, who have been a believer in their faith for a long time, and someone that you admire. Ask questions. Seek out information and continue to work out what you believe.
Study the Bible
Where do you begin right? Reading straight through from Genesis to Revelation can be choppy, out of order, and too confusing. If you're wanting to learn more about who Jesus is and what He did, start with one of the first four books in the New Testament: Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John. Many of the same stories are shared in these books, but through a different lens. Psalms and Proverbs are also great books to read for encouragement, watch David struggle with his faith, and learning attributes of God. And of course Genesis outlines everything from the beginning.
If you're looking for more of a study about the Bible, there are great resources as well. I recommend Kay Arthur, Beth Moore, Max Lucado, Shauna Niequist, Jen Hatmaker, Mark Batterson, and Lysa Terkeurst. One of my first really in-depth experiences with doing a bible study was in college when I did several of Kay Arthur's books. If you go to her website at precept.org, you can download free resources that focus on specific topics such as "Who was Jesus?," "The Love of God," and "Knowing God." Using the simple outline, she walks you through how to decipher a passage or more of scripture and apply it to your life and learn more in-depth about God. There are also online classes, devotional books and so much more on her site. One of my favorite devotionals of hers is called 'Lord, I want to know You.' You learn more about the names of God, how they were used contextually, what they represent, and who God is as a result of what He is called. It's kind of like thinking through our roles - mom, sister, wife, daughter, teacher, friend - and looking into how God reveals more of what He is as a result of what He is called.
Another favorite author of mine for years has been Max Lucado. He uses lots of personal stories to share about his experiences with God. Jen Hatmaker brings some comedic relief and just realness to our walk with God. She really breaks down what our faith is about in her book 'For the Love.'
"God measures our entire existence by only two things: how we love Him and how we love people" - Jen Hatmaker
Shauna Niequist just has a way with words that makes you think. I love what she says about grace in her book Bittersweet: "Grace isn't about having a second chance; grace is having so many chances that you could use them through all eternity and never come up empty. It's when you finally realize that the other shoe isn't going to drop, ever."
I'll put links to my favorite Christian authors and resources in the blog. Something that I will say is that these are people who continue to work out their faith and they're not always on the exact same page about every issue. However, they are in full agreement on Who they believe in. I think it's good to challenge ourselves to read different sides to different viewpoints. The Bible is very clear on specific things and more vague on others. I continue to work out my faith in God through what I read, learn, and experience as a result of learning more about who He is and what that means for me. I encourage you to do the same.
I'm not sure what you believe, but I hope you'll take time this summer to seek out a beginning of learning about what you believe, asking questions, and feeding your spiritual soul. Happy summer friends.
Comments
Post a Comment