“May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 5:23).
As I grow older and my body deteriorates I need to remember that I am also spirit and soul. It seems that as we age we spend more time taking care of our bodies, being more aware of our aches and pains, visiting doctors, taking medications and undergoing more surgeries. In the process we can forget or neglect taking care of our spirit and soul. It seems that we should be increasing in spirit and soul as we decrease in body. We were created from the dust of the ground (matter) and the breath of life (spirit) to become living souls (Genesis 2:7). Too many people live a spiritless life and therefore age poorly. When their physical life declines they have no awareness of their spiritual life. As a result they suffer from depression and despair. We are told that “though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen [the physical], but on what is unseen [the spiritual]. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18).
Just as we need to nourish our bodies with healthy food and exercise by keeping moving as much as we can, we need to nourish and exercise our spirits to compensate for our bodily decline. How do we do that? We feed upon the written Word of God through daily study of the Scriptures. We are nourished by the living Word of God as we keep the company of Jesus, connected to him through prayer and Holy Communion. He is the Bread of Life who satisfies our hunger and thirst for love, hope, meaning and comfort (John 6:35). He is the True Vine with whom we are connected by faith and through whom his lifegiving Spirit flows (John 15:1-17).
We read the lives of the saints and learn from their examples of devotion how to trust in the Lord, walk in his ways, and stand firm in the day of trouble. We recognize that life is a battle, full of conflict with spiritual powers of wickedness and requiring the armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-20). We become aware that we will have to face doubt and discouragement, pain and suffering, and need protection against all the assaults of the evil one. We need weapons of righteousness to demolish depressing arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God (2 Corinthians 6:7; 10;4). The 23rd Psalm becomes more real to us each day. We put our trust in the resurrection of Jesus to give us an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade, kept in heaven for us, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until we receive the goal of our faith, the salvation of our souls (1 Peter 1:3-9).
As we approach Lent, Ash Wednesday reminds us of our mortality. “Remember you are dust and to dust you shall return.” We should also remember our immortality. “Remember you are spirit and to God you shall return.” Live in the Spirit. Nourish your spirit. Strengthen your soul. Increase in spiritual health. Grow in the knowledge and love of God in Christ. Seek his spiritual direction and wisdom.
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