It seems there is great confusion over what is meant by the term spiritual wellbeing or spiritual health. An internet search quickly reveals this when the Australian National University clearly states ‘it refers not to any particular religious or spiritual practice or ideology but to the human need for meaning, purpose and connection to something greater than ourselves’ and this is contradicted by a study published in the Journal of Medical Ethics concluding that ‘most experts recognised human connection with God as the most important part of the definition of spiritual health.’
As Christians, we should very much conclude that our spiritual wellbeing depends on ‘our connection with God’ and this alone. When others might consider an uplifting in their spiritual wellbeing through connecting with nature or a purpose in their life, we would see that this is actually connecting them closer with God Himself who created nature and defines our purpose in life.
How do we connect with God?
It would be wonderful if we just naturally and automatically connected with God on a continuous basis but the truth is for most of us we have to be intentional and more disciplined to achieve this.
We have created a spiritual wellbeing assessment questionnaire which will help you not only gauge your ‘wellbeing dial’ but also start to consider some of the actions and practices you could consider to improve your spiritual wellbeing: Questionnaire
In the Wellbeing Journey Book we can see how there are various aspects to spiritual wellbeing and I will explain some of these but I would again encourage you to buy this book and embark on your personal wellbeing journey with God.
Desire & Delight
In some ways rather than starting with the disciplines and habits, it seems better to suggest that if we know God and how wonderful He is, then we should have a desire to connect and spend time with Him, and as we do so, we will recognise the delight in this and how it does us so much good. A lot of this is about recognising that Christ is in us and our new identity in Him. Out of recognition of His grace and mercy, the gift of salvation we have received, how deeply He loves us, the promise of eternal life with Him (I could keep going on & on!); then surely our hearts start to respond to Him in a way that would mean we desire and seek after Him and recognise how much we need Him on a daily basis. It won’t then be a case of ‘having to’ but rather ‘wanting to’ when we start to consider ways we can draw closer to Him.
Connection
There are various ‘tools’ God has given to us and urges us to use so that we can ‘connect’ with Him:
The Word
The Bible is a great starting place for connecting with God.
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17
Are you carving out intentional time to read the Bible? Is your Bible reading and study effective? What might help it become more meaningful?
There are many things that can help us nowadays with our study of the Word. Bible Apps such as YouVersion and the associated reading plans can be tremendously helpful. Videos produced by the Bible Project really promote a greater understanding and insight into the various books of the Bible. You might even want to consider a study group with other believers and use the time when you gather as small groups or peer discipleship groups to discuss scripture.
Prayer
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7
I am always amazed to consider that God hears every prayer that each and every person prays to Him. I know we can sometimes get caught up in disappointment if our prayers are not answered as we expect or hope, but we must trust the sovereignty and greater wisdom of God in this. Rest assured this does not mean He has not heard and considered our requests.
Some people find it helpful to keep a prayer journal that not only reminds them what to pray but also allows them to look back and see how God has answered their prayers. It is important to remember prayer is not all about requests and petitions but also about praise and enjoying His presence. Sometimes we just don’t know what to pray or how to put it into words and God even provides a way around this by giving us the gift of praying in tongues, and this is a very powerful and uplifting way to pray and connect with God.
Praying together with others is also very important and I know it can be hard to come out on a Wednesday evening after a busy day to go to a Prayer Central gathering, but when we do so we receive so much more than we give out so this can be a real spiritual ‘deposit’ in our monthly schedules. Prayer should also be an essential intent and activity as we gather together in small groups during the week.
Worship
“Sing to the LORD, all the earth; proclaim his salvation day after day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples. For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods.” 1 Chronicles 16:23-25
Worship is so much more than just coming together on a Sunday morning to sing songs and hymns and we are called to worship in Spirit and Truth. So what I have already written about reading the Word and prayer which is all part of worship.
However, I do also want to emphasise the importance of corporate worship and how good it is for our spiritual wellbeing when we gather together as a body of believers to worship God, whether this is at a Sunday service or a smaller gathering at other times.
Worship is very much about taking our eyes and attention off the things of the world and their effects on us and putting our focus on God and who He is. It’s not surprising that when we do this, it does us good!
The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit has to be integral to and of utmost significance when we consider our spiritual wellbeing. “Be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms, hymns and songs from the Spirit.” Ephesians 5:18-19
“And the disciples were continually filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.” Acts 13:52
What does it mean to be filled with the Spirit? A follower of Jesus empowered to live the life God intended for them by submitting to the presence, power and purpose of the Holy Spirit in their lives. Who wouldn’t want more of Him? Who wouldn’t want more of His fruits of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). Who wouldn’t seek after His gifts of wisdom, knowledge, faith, gifts of healings, working of miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, tongues, and interpretation of tongues (1 Corinthians 12).
It is sometimes difficult to know how we go about ‘being filled with the Holy Spirit’ so here is a link for further reading and guidance:
