Living a well-balanced life is easier said than done. Few could argue that our overall wellness plan should include caring for our mind, body, and soul. God wants each of us to be fully able to enjoy an abundant life, a holistic life that enables us to fully enjoy all that God has created for us to enjoy. So, why in the world is this so difficult?
Each week as I check in with my covenant group, we report on how we are doing in our acts of compassion, justice, devotion, and worship. We aspire to help others in need, and to express feelings of genuine appreciation to others each day, and to practice responsible stewardship of the world’s resources in the context of our personal life and communal commitments. We seek to become aware of social issues and to respond to them as the Holy Spirit leads us. We aspire to practice daily devotions, including reading scripture, speaking and listening to God, reading devotional materials, keeping a journal, structured prayer, listening to music and other practices. We attempt to practice responsible stewardship of our God-given resources, balancing care of our body, mind, and spirit though times of retreat, renewal, reflection, and recreation. We commit to actively participate in worship on a regular basis and to pray for those who lead worship, those who attend and participate in worship and for those who have yet to find their way to worship. All of this helps us to be mindful of the ways that we feel that God is calling us to lead balanced lives and each of us as individuals find parts of our covenant to be easier than others to live into.
If I’m honest, each week I typically fall short when it comes to caring for my body, and some weeks I do a better job than others in caring for my mind and spirit. Because I love my work/ministry and because I work from my home/car and because I do not have standard work hours, sometimes it seems that many of my waking hours are spent working, and it takes intentionality to take time to rejuvenate and to spend time alone with God and to also relax with family and friends. The biggest challenge of all is in caring for my body with mindful, healthy eating and exercise. But I know that if I do not take the time to care for my body, I will not have the energy and physical fitness to do all of the things that I enjoy and also that I feel called to do. It is time to make some changes, my friends, to become a better steward of this body that God has entrusted me to care for. My first baby step is a commitment to exercising at least 3 times a week for 20 minutes each, either by taking a walk outside or utilizing our elliptical machine. I’ve gotta start somewhere. Where are you outta whack? What baby steps could you consider taking? I’d love to hear from you so we can pray for and encourage one another.
Peace, Y’all,
If you would like to print or share this edition of Claire…ification,
you are encouraged to use this pdf:
Claire – A Balanced Life
To read past editions – you are encouraged to follow this link:
https://capitaldistrictnc.org/claire-ificaton/
