A Biblical Framework for Health
“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
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 the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Jesus’ response to the question in Matthew 22 was based on a core scripture in the Pentateuch, or the Torah, the first five “law” books of the Bible. The scripture He is referencing is Deuteronomy 6:4-9: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates.” Jesus then follows it up with a close second: Love your neighbor as yourself. The import of both of these scriptures is that loving the Lord above all else and with every fiber of our being is the most important thing we should be focused on. So much so that it should bleed into every aspect of our daily life. It shouldn’t just be a one time decision, or something that we do when we remember. It should become our hourly, daily, weekly, monthly rhythm. It should become such a critical part of our routines that we can’t imagine an aspect of life without it. Loving God and Loving Others becomes a part of who we are, not just what we do.
These scriptures are the basis of our model of health. Dr. Sears likes to talk about the LEAN model of health, or Lifestyle, Exercise, Attitude, and Nutrition. I prefer to recategorize these concepts into Heart, Mind, Soul, and Strength. My definitions are not the biblical definitions, but they help me to reframe what health and wellness is and what it is not. If we limit the steps to health to “what I eat, how I look, and how much I exercise”, we are doing ourselves a great disservice.
I like to think of Health and Wellness as a house that is being built. The Foundation of health and wellness is to desire God above all else. When we desire Him first, we are willing to begin putting aside the habits and behaviors that are getting the way of, not only our relationship with Him, but also with our health. The Four Walls are our Heart, Mind, Soul, and Strength. Our Heart represents our nutritional choices because it is so easy to unintentionally seek solace or release in food instead of in our relationship with Jesus. Our Mind symbolizes our thoughts and behavior patterns that can lead us down the path to joy, gratitude, and peace or the path to disillusionment, disgruntlement, and negativity. Our Soul illustrates the care we take with life, exploring creation and opportunities around us. Our Strength points to our physicality and the discipline we learn through training our body. Our house is topped with a Roof of Loving Ourselves and Loving Our Neighbors; self-care and other-care are both critical to our mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual wellness.
No aspect is more or less important. If my foundation is not level, my walls are not plumb, or my roof is askew, my house will fail. If I have positive attitudes and thriving relationships, but am neglecting my body, I am not in a place of balanced health and wellness. Conversely, if my body and diet are fit and clean, but my thought patterns are negative, I am neglecting my relationships and I exist in a state of chronic stress and anxiety, I am also not in a place of balanced health and wellness. From a faith perspective, we find this also to be true: if I love Jesus, read my bible, have 3 hours of quiet time and prayer daily, etc. but am not actively living life with those around me, loving them as Christ would, I am not in a state of spiritual balance.
Balance is an active engagement. It is a state of making small but critical adjustments that allow us to maintain a safe yet dynamic posture.
So, what if you don’t believe in Jesus? Do the methodology and patterns of healthy and well behavior at Amplified Whole Health apply to non-Christians as well? Of course. They are based on scientifically researched and medically supported understanding of optimum health. The fact that science and faith happen to agree doesn’t negate the process. It just enhances it for those of us who do believe.
Take some time to analyze your house today. Is it strong and balanced or is it unsteady and vulnerable? If it’s not where you want it to be, what steps will you take to repair it?
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If you are unsure of where to go next, feel free to contact me and we can set up a time to frame your goals and explore next steps for your journey to balanced health and wellness.
