Healthy, Part 3

Sep 2, 2018

Healthy – In Ephesians 3:19 we discover that through God’s love we can be healthy.

In Ephesians 3:16-21 Paul prays that the Ephesian believers would be “made complete” by their receiving and responding to the love of God, expressed through Jesus.

To be “made complete” or “filled” speaks of enjoying full health lacking nothing.

In Ephesians 3:16-21 we see that we can “experience the love of Jesus…be filled with the fullness of God…be made complete,” The context of this is receiving salvation grace by faith in Jesus, and applying the truth learned.

Healthy Part 1 – Salvation: God’s love is a gift to me …understanding the Good News of Jesus is the start.

Healthy Part 2 – God’s love is strong where you are not. …bringing healing to insecurity, stress, and anxiety.

Healthy Part 3 – Jesus-centered life completes me. …leading me away from self-centeredness.

Healthy Part 4 – Jesus-centered life leads me to healthy relationships …away from co-dependency.

“roots grow down into God’s love,” Good News context = Jesus is the love of God expressed to us.

This is a “love gives” ethic. We see it in Romans 5:8, Philippians 2, and 1 Corinthians 13.

A Jesus-centered life (“love gives” ethic) will lead us away from the tyranny of self-centeredness and co-dependency:

1. Self-centeredness prioritizing a pleasing of myself that results in the disregard of the value of another. My thoughts/desires/dreams are more important than yours.

2. Co-dependency prioritizing the happiness of others to the point of disregard for the value of myself. The happiness of others is necessary for me to be at peace.

God loves you. God wants you to be happy, happier than you are now, and more fulfilled. This is possible when you receive a Jesus-focused alignment of your priorities.

Is it my way or the highway? What I want, when I want it, and how I want it…or else I’m unhappy!

Toddler example: “Mine!” Like discovering expired milk in the refrigerator, finding an area where you are selfish can bring on a rollercoaster of emotions. Mystified, you can’t imagine that it’s your fault. You might prefer to pretend it’s not there. You might blame-shift. You may need help to make it right.

Walking away from a lifestyle of making me happy first, I can instead live out of a “Thank You” to God. Because God says that He already finds joy in me, in can find peace in living to please God a little more.

When I receive the love that God gives to me, I can find peace and fulfillment. Learning from the character and actions of God, I will grow in my sense of identity as a child of God. Observing the way that God’s love seeks to give first, adding to others in a healthy way. I may desire to reflect this state of being with actions of my own. As I, “live like Jesus and share His love.” Healthy relationships that bring peace, by giving love, are the result.

A healthy spiritual life is at peace with God, with self, and with others. No longer do I feel the need to get something or to prove something to be at peace about who I am, to find fulfillment in life, and to enjoy relationships. A healthy spiritual life will benefit God, self, and others.

This is the healthy balance of the way that God has expressed His love to us, through Jesus. We see it in Romans 5:8, Philippians 2, and 1 Corinthians 13. God’s love for us has proven to be gentle, faithful, patient, kind, and never-ending. This love only comes to fulfillment as it is shared.

You are a spiritual being created by design. When we approach our spiritual health with a self-focus it will always become incomplete. Only in a God-focused approach to spiritual healthy can we be “made complete”.

“Your thoughts are higher than my thoughts, your ways are higher than my ways.” – Isaiah 55

Questions to guide a healthy life:

1. Have I received the love of God & responded to it?

2. Is Jesus the center of my life?

3. In what ways can I step away from self-centeredness & co-dependency?

Jesus-centered life completes me. …leading me away from self-centeredness.

My loving God, please forgive me for my self-centeredness. It’s wrong for me to be the most important person in our relationship. Please remove my guilt and restore our relationship. Today I make a commitment to follow Jesus. Please help me see how I should respond to you. Thank you!

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