The doctor’s recommendation for a healthy Pastor Steve is good diet, exercise and regular check-ups. My regular 6-month meetings with my doctor always include his concern that I be as healthy as possible. He convinces me that the quality and quantity of my life will improve with good health. Each time we meet, when my indicators haven’t improved much, I once again agree to try my best to be a healthy Steve. This seems to be our regular cycle.

I know I should eat better and get more exercise. Having said that, there seems to be a disconnect between what I know and what I do. Time for exercise seems scarce and delicious donuts seem to appear in my environment. Not the best lifestyle.

This helps me understand the difficulty of spiritual health. I need to watch my spiritual diet, exercise and have regular check-ups. Sometimes my spiritual diet suffers. I will often grab a quick devotional thought on the run and promise myself that I’ll spend more time reading the Bible. Finding time for prayer, fellowship and study opportunities can get drowned out in a busy schedule. I need to make my spiritual diet a priority.

My spiritual exercise regimen can be sidetracked as well. Activities where I put my faith into action can take second place to work and family obligations. I’m thankful that my particular work is often a good opportunity to put my faith into action; not many people have that option. I need to make spiritual exercise a priority.

Spiritual check-ups are also important. Worship, Sunday School, and small groups offer opportunities to check-in with God and God’s people. I try to meet with a spiritual advisor with some regularity. I find that I need to make spiritual check-ups a priority.

Spiritually-healthy individuals make a spiritually-healthy church. As a church we need to continue to promote a healthy spiritual lifestyle. The word “priority” shows up quite a bit. We need to make our spiritual health a priority! God’s people should be a fully functioning and healthy Body of Christ in this world.

“Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting
along well.” (3 John 2)

Pastor Steve