Spirit

When we seek God’s healing, we find balance in our body, soul, and spirit. He gives us the wisdom for how to achieve this balance long term.

I’m in my final week of a six-week dietary reset. It’s been a bit of a battle, but most of the fighting happened before I even began. Before I created my first new healthy recipe or popped the first natural supplement, I had already done the majority of the fighting.

You see, the battle was raging in my mind and body, and they were at war with my spirit. I knew in my spirit that something was out of balance. But my mind and body had begun to lean in and listen to this lie of the enemy: “Sickness and exhaustion are just your new normal.”

I was struggling with severe digestive problems, fatigue, brain fog, and the list goes on. But I thought: “Well, I’m nearing forty and have had two kids. So, I guess this is just how I’m bound to look and feel at this age.” What a lie that was! How good God is! And what a difference six disciplined weeks have made!

The World’s View vs. God’s Will…

Picture your average cooking show where they’re making some gooey cheesy fettuccini alfredo. The show is interrupted by a commercial for delayed-release antacids to fight heartburn and acid reflux. The irony is so obvious, but it’s as if we’ve forgotten how directly linked all of this is.

The world tells us it’s normal to always feel sick and tired. There are pills for these things, right?! The world suggests that the standard American diet is fine as long as we try to make relatively healthy choices. And when we’re sick and don’t know why the world offers us the latest prescription drug to help slow the symptoms.

But, the Holy Spirit began to invite me to change channels. To flip my thinking from sickness to wholeness. To believe that deeper healing is possible and to begin to pursue it. Ultimately, the Holy Spirit has helped me change my view of health from the world’s view to God’s will:

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Romans 12:2

And it is not God’s will for us to feel terrible all the time. His desire is for us to be healthy. To feel whole. For our bodies to function as the perfect creations that He made.

O Taste and See???

Before I embarked on this healing adventure, I learned that I would not be able to have coffee, sugar, dairy or a whole host of other staples in my diet. As I looked over the “approved” foods list, in my natural mind, I kind of freaked out. How on earth was I going to function!?

I was reminded of a bit by the stand-up comedian, Brian Regan, which is all about food. In it, he describes leaving his doctor’s office to the tune of “Oh, and by the way, try to lay off the dairy.” And he’s like, “What? That’s like saying, ‘Oh, and by the way, No more happiness!'” That’s about how I felt. What was I supposed to eat? How would I function? Doesn’t scripture say:

O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

Psalm 34:8

This felt like the opposite of that. Like, ‘man barely scrapes by on a few gnarly nuts, seeds, and roughage.’

Before I Began to Heal…

Before I began to heal, after every meal, my stomach was so achy and bloated that I had to lie down to get it to calm down. The nausea was incapacitating. Now I can eat and digest and go on about my day. Before I began to change my eating, I opted for cookies with artificial flavoring and high fructose corn syrup, which had thrown my taste buds all out of whack. But now that I’ve broken my sugar addiction, I’m beginning to truly taste and see that the Lord is good. I mean, He created fruit, and praise God, it tastes sweet again! It’s like nature’s candy.

Prior to this process, I was sort of walking around in a mental haze. I didn’t have clarity in my thoughts, and I was experiencing what has been termed ‘brain fog’. Clear headed now, I’m actually able to tackle all the things I have to accomplish in a day’s time for a busy household.

One of the biggest surprises has been the fact that without any caffeine or sugar, I now have more energy than I’ve had in years. I’m up by 6:15 am, in bed by 10 pm, and I’m not tired and sluggish throughout the day. And then there’s the added bonus that I’ve lost ten pounds, and my skin has completely cleared up!

It’s All Connected…

So, you might be saying:

“Wow. That’s great. Good for you. I’m glad your new diet is working out. But why does any of this matter on a spiritual level?”

To put it the same way that folks have for centuries: it matters because it’s all connected. Our body, our soul, and our spirit are connected to one another. And when one isn’t working properly, it throws our balance out of whack. And when we’re unbalanced, we can’t walk steadily in our full potential. In the health and wholeness that the Lord has provided for His children.

Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.

3 John 1:2

Our body, our soul, and our spirit are connected to one another. And when one isn't working properly, it throws our balance out of whack. Click To Tweet

Wisdom for Healing…

Sometimes the Lord heals us supernaturally. Other times, He gives us wisdom for how to heal ourselves. And He has provided so many things in nature that we can use to heal. So whether it’s a physical health issue, a mental health battle, or a spiritual struggle, we can ask Him to give us His divine wisdom for how to heal from it. And He is faithful to answer us.

If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

James 1:5

Finding Balance Long-term…

Had He healed me instantly with His divine power, obviously, that would have been wonderful and amazing. However, I believe the Lord had something even better in mind as He showed me how to heal myself. He is teaching me how to sustain a healthy balance, long-term. And although this new healthy eating regimen has helped tremendously, it’s not all about what I’m choosing to eat or not to eat.

The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment.

Luke 12:23

Yes, he wants us to eat healthy. But He also wants us to think good, wholesome thoughts, to speak words that give life. To fill ourselves up with the daily bread of His Word. Living balanced essentially means to have Christ in the center of it all. The hub in the middle of the wheel. When we firmly root ourselves in God, He shows us how to stay balanced on the narrow path of faith.

Is there an area of your life where you feel out of whack? Are you getting a balanced daily diet of His daily bread?

All scripture references are from the KJV Bible.

Today we are talking about knowing when, who, and how to fight. Not with people, but against an enemy who wants to destroy us and our influence. We will not sit back and let our spirits be crushed!

He came running through the door sobbing so heavily I could not understand what he was trying to tell me. After several attempts of trying to get him to take a deep breath, I finally was able to coax the story out of my nine year old (with some additional details from his 5 year old brother).

Let’s back up… My nine year old loves people. From the age of 2, he has been able to make friends at a playground, any playground, any city. He thrives from being around his friends, so when we moved to this street that is full of little boys and girls, it was like he arrived at heaven’s gate ready to get rowdy! And he instantly connected with everyone, believing all were his new best friend.

My younger son is friendly, but not quite so eager, and one of these “new best friends” was not being so friendly towards him. After about the third time of my younger son complaining, I was quickly going into mama bear mode. I remained calm and cool though, giving him the advice of, “When he does this, you need to tell him to stop, and if he doesn’t stop, then you need to leave.”

During this excellent parenting, my older son was making excuses for the friend, saying things like, “that is just how he plays,” and “he doesn’t mean anything by it.” At this point, my parenting shifted to him. I told him, “It is not ok for him to play like this. If he is told to stop, then he needs to stop” (I am a big believer that “no” means “no” with any gender, any age). I also told him that he needs to always have his brother’s back (I don’t believe in picking fights, but I do believe in fighting for those who need our protection).

The day came. The friend was being ~~a punk~~ not nice, and even though he was told to stop, he didn’t. This is where my boys went wrong. They should have left, but instead kept pleading with him to no avail. Then, saliva happened. Yes, saliva. The friend was trying to spit, or drool, or something, and my germaphobic son was having none of it. He snapped, or in his words, “Mom, I’ve never gone so crazy in my life!” And this is how my son got into his first fight.

For the first time in his life, he was pushed past his limit. I was honestly relieved to know he has a limit. He has such a desire to like people and be liked back, that he tends to do whatever it takes to make this happen. I was also proud of him for standing up for his little brother. My prayer for him has always been for him to be strong, and to bring strength to others, and in this moment, he did that. I will not encourage him to wrestle other kids to the ground when he is angry, but I will encourage him to stand up against what is wrong. And sometimes when you are a little boy, wrestling is the best way to communicate.

Ready to Fight

There are times in life when we need to stand and fight. Whether it is against injustice, or to protect someone we love, we better be ready to wrestle when we get pushed past our limit.

We need to know, however, who it is we’re fighting, because it’s not the neighbor kid across the street.

Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:11-12, ESV)

We also need to know how to fight, because the moves you learned in cardio kickboxing at the gym aren’t going to help. In Ephesians when the author is talking about the armor, the only part that is for fighting, rather than defending, is the “sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

We need to know how to fight, because the moves you learned in cardio kickboxing at the gym aren't going to help. Click To Tweet

This is how Jesus fought. When he was being attacked in the wilderness, he repeatedly spoke the Word of God to Satan. And eventually, Satan did flee (Matthew chapter 4).

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (James 4:7, ESV)

Finally, knowing who we are fighting, and how to fight is not enough. We also need to put our knowledge into practice. My son has watched many episodes of Ninjago (a Lego show with ninjas), but this is not where he learned how to fight. The fight with our neighbor may have been his first fight of rage, but he has wrestled countless times in his life (just ask his dad and grandfathers). It is important to practice fighting in the spirit so that when we are being attacked, we can fight back with confidence.

Practice fighting in the spirit so that when we are being attacked, we can fight back with confidence. Click To Tweet

Your Turn

What are you fighting for?

A child? Your marriage? Your identity in Christ?

I challenge you to…

Search, and find scripture declaring truth over you and your situation.
Speak the scripture, audibly, and say, “Be gone, Satan!”
Share it with trusted loved ones who will fight with you and help hold you up as you become weary from the battle.

I want to hear from you! Let me know what battles you have been fighting, and how I can be praying for you.

xoxo, Rachael

ps. My boys and this little boy across the street are now the best of buds. There has been no more inappropriate play, and they all truly enjoy being around each other. If only all our battles ended so sweetly…

Jack Alexander

Balance: Experiencing Healing in Body, Soul, and Spirit