You are a whole person

Good morning, everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Live long, live well”

Our Bible verse for today: “Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely. And may your whole spirit, soul, and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Thessalonians 5:23 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “You are a whole person”

As a human being created in the image of God you are a whole person – body, mind/emotions, and spirit. You are a composite being, consisting of three distinct but interrelated components. You are not simply a physical body, an organism that lives for a short-time and then ceases to exist. There is more to you than that.

You are also more than just a brain on a stick. Some people believe the mind is supreme and the sole purpose of the body is to be a support system for the brain. But the body needs the brain just as the brain needs the body. You are also not just a spirit-being. Some Christians think that the physical body is nothing more than a shell that contains the spirit and serves as a vehicle for the spirit to exist in this world – like how an astronaut must wear a spacesuit to exist in outer space. No, the body is more than just that.

The body, mind, and spirit are all eternal. The spirit does need the body so it can exist in this world, but even though the physical body will progressively deteriorate until it one day ceases to function altogether, and even though the spirit will at that time be released from the body and go on to exist in eternity, this physical body will one day also be resurrected and reunited with the spirit (1 Corinthians 15:50-54) and exist for eternity too. Likewise, your mind/emotions are an integral part of the health and proper functioning of both the body and the spirit during this lifetime, but you do not lose your mind when you die. Your mind goes with you into eternity – transformed, cleansed, and perfected.

You are more than just your individual parts. Your individual parts are all related, interconnected, dependent on one another, and eternal. The condition of your mind/emotions has a direct effect on the physical condition of your body and your spirit. Likewise, your spiritual health influences and impacts your mind/emotions as well as your physical well-being. And the physical condition of your body impacts both your mental/emotional health and your spiritual health. The point is that you are a whole person and therefore you need to take proper care of your whole person. Physical, mental/emotional, and spiritual selfcare are all essential.

We have already paid a good bit of attention to caring for our bodies. Now we will shift our focus to maintaining good mental, emotional, and spiritual health. All three are needed and all three depend on the others.

By-the-way, in 1 Thessalonians 5:23, in our Bible verse for today, the Apostle Paul did not refer to the mind/emotions as being the third element in our human triad of components. Instead, he used the word “soul.” Why? What exactly is the soul, what does it do, how is it different from the spirit, and what role does it play in our overall health? We will think about that tomorrow. For today, be sure you are taking care of your whole person – all three parts of you.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

(If you like what you are reading in these daily devotionals and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00 – in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

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