He answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind;” and, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.” Luke 10:27-28

In the Bible book of Luke 10, Jesus explained that the way to live is to love God with all the parts of who we are—with our hearts, souls, our minds, and our strength. These parts of us are distinct but intertwined. We might think of these aspects of ourselves as our emotions, our eternal essence, our reasoning, and our dedication. We engage with God through all of these. Understanding how to live fully in alignment with God, in every aspect of our personhood, is the key to a life of fulfilment.

Yes, God gave us physical bodies to live in. Despite the fact that Scripture says that we “are not our own,” (1 Corinthians 6:19) we may be tempted to believe that what we do with our bodies isn’t spiritual.  But glorifying God through obedience with our bodies, brings us in alignment with His Spirit physically, spiritually, and mentally.  Our feelings follow when we choose to worship in physical obedience.

Jesus’ way results in a life of wholeness and harmony and it’s just plain good for us! A healthy spirit nourishes the body and mind, and vice versa.  When one part of ourselves needs healing, our help comes from the One who created us as multi-dimensional beings.  King David wrote, “When my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the rock that is higher than I” (Psalm 61:2).  When our soul, mind, and strength find their home in God, our troubled hearts know right where to turn in distress.

 

Resource reading: 1 Thessalonians 5:19-24