3 Ways to Spring Clean Your Spirit
How long will you last without food, water, exercise, or air?
There is a wealth of scientific and practical knowledge about how to take care of our physical bodies. We know that we should eat well, get enough sleep, and exercise. But we are more than just our physical bodies, and our complete well-being depends upon maintaining our spiritual bodies in the same way we strive for physical health.
What if we could boil down spiritual health and growth to the basic elements, the way we do with physical health? Try applying these key steps today to help keep your spirit body in shape:
1. Truth - Food for the Soul
When Jesus was tempted with food in the wilderness, he responded, “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Matthew 4 NIV
Jesus knew that human beings are more than just physical bodies craving for food and water. We are also spiritual beings who crave the intangible elements of love, truth, and goodness.
Jesus likened God’s word to a kind of spiritual food. When we read the word, we are nourishing our spirit with the element of truth. Make it part of your daily routine to read a short verse or listen to an inspiring message. If you have a journal handy, write down any insights that pop up. There is always a reason behind the inspirations you have, so invite God’s word into your daily routine.
2. Give - Exercise for the Spirit Body
Everyone knows that exercise is essential to a healthy body. Just like spiritual food, our spirit needs a certain kind of exercise, too. Cultivating goodness through our actions, is like a heart pumping workout for our spirit body.
You know that positive energy that you feel after volunteering or doing a favor for a friend? That’s what the Divine Principle calls Vitality Elements. It’s a term that literally describes the spiritual growth we receive as a result of doing good things for others. Find a place to volunteer on a regular basis, or commit to performing an act of kindness for someone at least once a day. Let those vitality elements get your heart racing!
3. Love – Breath for your Spiritual Lungs
If we stop breathing we will die in a matter of minutes! Just as our physical bodies need air to breathe, our spiritual bodies need love. As far as our spiritual health is concerned, love is essential. It is the element that makes the difference between mere existence and a meaningful, happy life. We feel love the most in relationship with others. Father Moon, founder of the Unificationist faith, explains that our first experience of love comes from our own family, “The key element of life is none other than love. Therefore, we should inhale the air called love. We should breathe the air of love from our mother and father.”
Whatever you are doing today, stop and look around. Who are you with? How are you treating each other? In the hustle and bustle of the daily routine, we can forget to allow love to be a part of the moment. Sometimes it is a challenge to stay connected, and nurture your relationships, but they will see you through the times when your physical breath is not enough to sustain you.
Remember, breathing is an in-and-out thing. Learning to receive love is as important as learning to give. Let your spirit breathe some fresh air today by surrounding yourself with those you love, and loving those you find around you.
So if you feel like spring-cleaning your relationships, or spring-cleaning your career, above all you’ll want to, spring-clean your spirit to kick the season off on the right foot!
And if you are wondering what act of giving and service you can do right now, then post to your wall for your friends’ benefit.