"The best and only gift you have to offer to God and your people is a well self."
This is a profound proclamation made by Steve Cuss. He goes on to say how "well" is not some destination, as if we only have something to offer when we're "well." If that were the case, none of us could offer anything! "Wellness" however is not the destination, but the journey toward the abundant life God offers.
It conjures up the image given by the Gospel of John in chapter 5, when Jesus approaches a paralyzed man who had been unwell for 38 years. He asks him: do you want to get well?
It seems a straightforward question with an obvious answer. Yet, when that question gets asked to us, then the path toward wellness means we have to do the uncomfortable work of acknowledging all the ways we live in a false reality, offer our ways of thinking and acting up to Jesus, and allow him to set us free. We can't default to victim mentality. We can't keep leaning on the crutch of ignorance. We can't stay the same as we are now.
Being well is undoubtedly difficult, ironically painful, and completely life-giving.
There are some tools that we can utilize in walking the path to wellness, however. Tools that will open our souls to God and allow Him to work in us. As Steve details them, they are:
Pausing to pay attention to what God is doing in me or saying to me.
Reflecting and Debriefing upon our actions, so as not to get stuck in a pattern of constantly doing.
Practicing Radical Self-Acceptance so as not to treat ourselves more harshly than God treats us.
Giving Ourselves Permission to be human: experience tiredness, weakness, inability, hurt, and the entire range and depth of emotion.
Practicing Curiosity which locates our assumptions and keeps our judgments in check.
Testing Assumptions in order to make sure our internal stories match up to the reality of how things actually are.
Laughter and Playfulness create space for awe, allow reprieve from our burdens, and remind us of God's delight in us.
Accepting that it takes Time for spiritual growth and wellness to take place and that the most significant changes in our souls don't happen immediately, even if we wish they did!
Intentionality, which postures us away from the urgent and points us toward the important.
These are some of the ways God invites us to take steps toward wellness, with the help and guidance of His Spirit. Which ones resonate most deeply with you? How can you practice one of these this week?
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