Care for our Bodies

I am responsible to care for my body. It is central to all other responsibilities I have. I am the steward of my body. It belongs to God and he has entrusted it to me.


I must present my body to God as a living and holy sacrifice. The goal is that every part of my body is inclined toward God and godliness, breaking conformity with the world and being transformed by the renewal of my mind (thoughts, imaginations, judgments). We don’t want our bodies starting us off after evil, dragging along our thoughts and feelings.

“The body must come to serve as a primary ally in Christlikeness. The body lies right at the center of the spiritual life. It can, and often does, hinder us. The body should be cherished and properly cared for, not as our master, but as a servant of God.” (Willard)

My language, culture, gender, talents, opportunities and family all come to me through my body. My body keeps a record of my desires, sensations, emotions that tells the truth about me in my core. I cannot escape my body. My body is God’s creation.

My body is not just physical but is inhabited by Jesus’ real presence (Phil. 3:10, Romans 8:11). I need to set aside “my flesh” by God’s grace, putting to death all of the old desires that are in rebellion against God, and take on my new life in Christ. Christ was raised that I may walk in newness of life (Romans 6:4).

To accomplish what God has called me to, my body must be as healthy as I can achieve. How foolish to squander this great gift of a body by allowing it to deteriorate from lack of exercise and over eating. Lord, change my heart (my inner thinking and attitudes) so that I value and see the connection between my health and the work you’ve called me to. I cannot sacrifice my health without limiting years of my life and ministry.

>

Entering a Life of Worship

Inner renewal happens as we worship the Lord. Let the love of God lead you to worship. Let the psalms and hymns and spiritual songs create an undertone of worship in our lives. Throughout the day, join with angels who are worshipping in heaven: "To the one seated on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever." (Rev. 5:13)

Our love of God leads us to worship Him, and overflows into a life of compassion and mercy—loving others.

Dallas Willard writes: "Worship is the single most powerful force in completing and sustaining restoration of our whole beings to God. Nothing can inform, guide, and sustain pervasive and radiant goodness in a person other than the true vision of God and the worship that spontaneously arises from it. Then the power of the indwelling Christ flows from us to others."

Matt Redman encourages us to set apart something in our lives that will serve as a call to worship. That seemed like a wonderful idea. I've set apart the sunrise and for months now, every time I see the sunrise, it reminds me to stop, turn my focus to the Lord, spend a few minutes in unworded openness before him, receiving his boundless love. The sunrise is my call to worship Jesus.

Worship isn't something that I have on my to-do list—another task. That's not the spirit of worship. Worship overflows from a heart that is grateful.

As we worship, we are renewed in our inner being.

Enjoy him. Pay attention to his fingerprints in your life that you might be deeply grateful to him for all he is doing and has done. Caring for our souls in these ways is our responsibility—this is our part of walking in step with the Spirit (Galatians 5) —and when we do, love and worship overflows in goodness and mercy as we live out our worship in service to others.

>

Restore my soul

"Allowing service for Christ to steal our devotion to him is a radical failure in personal soul care. But it is one from which the practice of communing with Christ in times of solitude and silence can deliver us."(Willard, The Great Omission, 130)

How many times have we gotten to the place where we are absolutely empty, poured out, exhausted...and how many times have we found that the rest and refreshment of taking a nap, walking in a natural setting, reading our Bibles, and simply being silent and alone with the Lord has completely restored us? Every single time.

Silence, Solitude, and Time are our best friends...they are essential to our soul care.

“The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me besides still waters. He restores my soul.” Psalm 23

>

Is This Really Possible?

"It's God's intention that our lives should be a seamless manifestation of the fruit of the Spirit: "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control" (Gal. 5:22-23). God has made abundant provision for His indwelling our lives in the here and now. Appropriate attention to the care of our souls through His empowerment will yield this rich spiritual fruit ..." (Dallas Willard, The Great Omission, p. 125)

Is Willard serious? Can we really get to a place in our lives were we experience God's love and "walk in the way of love" (Eph 5:1, NASB) as Paul exhorts us? Is it really possible to experience joy from deep within that isn't shaken by our circumstances? Not a pretense of joy, but a true sense of well-being and hope in the Lord always. Yes, I guess it is possible: Jesus taught us to abide in God's love, like a branch remains with the vine, "so that His joy may be in us and that our joy may be complete." It must be possible to live in complete joy.

"Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love." (Eph. 5:1 NIV)

"Living a life of love," "experiencing complete joy" -- not exactly the first characteristics that spring to mind as people outside of the church seek to describe us. Not exactly the first characteristics that spring to my mind either. Why is that? Why aren't we known by our love, joy, peace, patience...?

Maybe we're not paying enough attention to our interior life. For the fruit of the Spirit to naturally overflow in our lives, we must attend to matters of the heart: experiencing His Love and receiving His Grace. Spiritual exercises like Practicing the Presence of God and letting the Word of Christ richly dwell in us and spending time in solitude being with the Lord and experiencing His Divine Love are a few of the specific, practical exercises we can build into our lives that will help us abide in His love.

At The Springs, we take long periods of time to experience His Love and Grace in these kinds of specific ways. The retreat is not a vacation. It's not time for us to get away from it all. The retreat is for the specific purpose of being with the Lord. As we take the time to be with Him, and make these practices part of our daily life, we are able to stay connected with the Lord like branch is connected with the vine. Through living as Christ taught us we open ourselves to receiving His Grace so that we will exude in increasing measure the character of the Spirit of God and experience His life changing us from the inside out. At least that's the goal that the Lord Jesus has set before us. I think it would be good for us to take His charge to "walk by the Spirit" seriously.

>