Gospel Reflections

I served a boss who took a genuine interest in the well-being of every employee under him.

He cared about our vocational well-being: motivated us, and fought for our promotions.

He cared about our financial well-being: shared with us financial wisdom from his life experiences, and advised us to spend wisely.

He cared about our relational well-being. Didn’t hesitate to grant us leave. Encouraged us to leave home early so that we can enjoy time with family.

People care about us, but God even more. When we gave our hearts to Jesus, He began a good work in every area of our life. Jesus said it this way:

“My purpose is to give life in all its fullness” (John 10:10, TLB).

Some of us have a very narrow view of God. To us, God only enters the picture when it comes to church or religion. But the truth is, God is interested in every area of our life: Spiritual. Mental. Emotional. Relational. Financial. Vocational.

His word teaches us how he blesses and how we can become healthy in every area of our life.

Spiritually healthy

Here are a few habits you need to develop to be spiritually healthy. It starts with you knowing that Jesus loves you, and He is your Savior:

1. Know that He loves you: “We love each other because he loved us first” (1 John 4:19).
2. Love Him supremely: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength” (Mark 12:30, NLT).
3. Meet Him daily: “Joyful are those who listen to me, watching for me daily” (Proverbs 8:34).
4. Study and obey His word: “You are my friends if you do what I command” (John 15:14).
5. Love others unconditionally: “Just as I have loved you, you should love each other” (John 13:34).
6. Serve others unselfishly: “Use your freedom to serve one another in love” (Galatians 5:13).
7. Spread the good news freely. “We loved you so much that we shared with you not only God’s Good News but our own lives, too” (1 Thessalonians 2:8).

Physically healthy

Here are a few reasons why God cares about your physical well-being:

1. Your body is His property: “For we are God’s masterpiece” (Ephesians 2:10).
2. You are connected to Christ’s body: “Don’t you realize that your bodies are actually parts of Christ?” (1 Corinthians 6:15).
3. The Holy Spirit resides in your body: “Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in[a] you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16).
4. Jesus bought your body on the cross: “God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body” (1 Corinthians 6:20).
5. He wants you to be healthy: “Dear friend, I hope all is well with you and that you are as healthy in body as you are strong in spirit” (3 John 1:2).

Mentally healthy

Speaking of mental health, God says:

1. Guard your mind: “A wise person is hungry for knowledge, while the fool feeds on trash” (Proverbs 15:14).
2. Examine your thoughts: “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things..” (Jeremiah 17:9); “Examine yourselves to see whether you’re in the faith; test yourselves…” (2 Corinthians 13:5).
3. Renew your mind daily by His word: “..Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think..” (Romans 12:2).
4. Never stop growing and learning: “Those who get wisdom do themselves a favor, and those who love learning will succeed” (Proverbs 19:8, NCV).

Emotionally healthy

God says “He heals the broken-hearted and bandages their wounds” (Psalm 147:3, NLT). Many people have hurts and wounds, but God says He wants to heal them:

1. Reveal and confess your hurts to God so that he can heal you: “I kept very quiet…but I became even more upset. I became very angry inside, and as I thought about it, my anger burned” (Psalm 39:2-3, NCV).
2. Release those who have hurt you and trust God to do what is right: “Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God..” (Romans 12:19, NLT).
3. Replace those old lies you believed with God’s truth: “Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think” (Romans 12:2).
4. Reach out to help others who are hurting: “He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us” (2 Corinthians 1:4).

Relationally healthy

Relationships matter to Him. He counsels:

1. Choose friends wisely: “The righteous choose their friends carefully” (Proverbs 12:26, NIV).
2. Be genuinely interested in others: “Unfriendly people care only about themselves..” (Proverbs 18:1, NLT).
3. Have a cheerful spirit: “Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you” (Philippians 2:14).
4. Be a good listener: “Be quick to listen, slow to speak” (James 1:19).
5. Accept people unconditionally: “Accept one another…just as Christ accepted you” (Romans 15:7).
6. Help people feel appreciated: “Take delight in honoring each other” (Romans 12:10).
7. Be understanding: “Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15).
8. Stick with them in tough times: “There are “friends” who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24).

Financially healthy

Speaking of financial well-being, His word says:

1. Trust God as your provider: “Everything comes from him…” (Romans 11:36).
2. Put Him first in your money: “The purpose of tithing is to teach you always to put God first in your lives” (Deuteronomy 14:23, TLB).
3. Save and invest: “The wise man saves for the future, but the foolish man spends whatever he gets” (Proverbs 21:20).
4. Set up plans to pay debt: “Let no debt remain outstanding” (Romans 13:8, NIV).
5. Have a budget for spending: “Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty” (Proverbs 21:5, NLT).
6. Be happy with what you have: “Enjoy what you have rather than desiring what you don’t have” (Ecclesiastes 6:9).

Vocationally healthy

His counsel on your vocational well-being:

1. Know that God is your real boss: “Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people” (Colossians 3:23)
2. Work enthusiastically: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart” (Colossians 3:23, NIV).
3. Know that God uses difficult circumstances to build your character: “For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow” (James 1:3).
4. Care about your work colleagues: “Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too” (Philippians 2:4).
5. Exceed expectations: “Servants, do what you’re told by your earthly masters. And don’t just do the minimum that will get you by. Do your best” (Colossians 3:22, MSG).
6. Expand your skills and learn continually: “Using a dull ax requires great strength, so sharpen the blade. That’s the value of wisdom; it helps you succeed” (Ecclesiastes 10:10, NLT).
7. Commit your work for God’s purposes: “Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed” (Proverbs 16:3).

God cares about every area of your life because you are His child. If it matters to you, it matters to Him. Sometimes we have a narrow view of our heavenly Father’s concerns for our life.

He says I want to bless and change every area of your life.